At first glance, you see the Carolina Panthers' 6-6 record and think, “This must be a young and improving team on the rise.”
A deeper dive reveals that they are largely the result of a weaker schedule and are partly a beneficiary of the hapless NFC South:
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Week 1 at Jacksonville Jaguars: 10-26 (0-1)
Week 2 at Arizona Cardinals: 22-27 (0-2)
Week 3 vs. Atlanta Falcons: 30–0 (1–2)
Week 4 at New England Patriots: 13–42 (1–3)
Week 5 vs. Miami Dolphins: 27–24 (2–3)
Week 6 vs. Dallas Cowboys: 30–27 (3–3)
Week 7 at New York Jets: 13-6 (4-3)
Week 8 vs. Buffalo Bills: 9–40 (4–4)
Week 9 at Green Bay Packers: 16-13 (5-4)
Week 10 vs. New Orleans Saints: 7–17 (5–5)
Week 11 at Atlanta Falcons: 30-27 (6-5)
Week 12 at San Francisco 49ers: 9-20 (6-6)
Carolina's victories:
The Panthers have beaten the Falcons twice and Rams fans know the team as one of the worst teams in the NFL as they keep a close eye on Atlanta's first round pick as it belongs to Los Angeles. Carolina also defeated the beaten Dolphins and Jets.
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Their two most impressive wins came against the Packers and Cowboys.
The Cowboys' game took place well before the NFL trade deadline and before Dallas bolstered its defense through trades. Rico Dowdle rushed for 183 yards and Bryce Young scored three touchdowns despite rushing for just 199 yards.
Dowdle also had 130 yards and two scores in Week 9 against the Packers, although Young faded into the background with just 102 yards and an interception. It's not every day you see a running back eclipse his quarterback in terms of yardage, and that's not a foolproof recipe for success.
Carolina losses:
It's an indictment of the Panthers for losing to two largely uncompetitive teams, the Cardinals and the New Orleans Saints. Carolina stood no chance against either the AFC-rival Patriots or Bills, as they lost by a combined 60 points in those two contests alone.
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While the record may not reflect much, the Jaguars and 49ers are closer to mid-table than they have a shot at making the playoffs.
Simply put, if you can't even play a close game against the Jaguars or 49ers, how can you possibly expect to keep pace with the NFL-leading Los Angeles Rams this weekend?
Zooming out:
According to Pro Football Focus (PFF) overall team ratings, the Panthers rank 23rd out of 32 NFL teams with a score of 71.0. While their results are encouraging at first glance, they are making great strides due to a weak schedule and playing in a soft division. To date, they have yet to face the NFC South leading Tampa Bay Buccaneers (73.9 overall rating (18th)) and they have two games left that they can use to either prove me wrong or prove me right.
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Meanwhile, the Rams are comfortably ahead in overall PFF grade at 94.8. Los Angeles currently ranks first on each side of the ball.
The Panthers have no chance in Week 12.
If Bryce Young can only throw for 169 yards, a touchdown and two interceptions (he had three turnover-worthy games, suggesting it could have been worse) against San Francisco's injury-plagued defense, how bad will he look against the number one player in the league?
We can expect the Rams to shut down a Carolina game in which the defense has taken a huge step forward from last year; however, it is the Panthers' only lifeline to keeping the game competitive. Los Angeles must maintain its positive play in the trenches and on the ground to quell frustration from the Panthers.
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This is probably easier done than said.
