Bryce Young leads Carolina Panthers in push to end decade-long drought in historic bout

The Carolina Panthers haven’t made the playoffs since 2017.

The franchise hasn’t won the NFC South since 2015, which was the last time they won a playoff game.

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It’s been a decade since Charlotte has seen any postseason success, which coincidentally was the last time the Panthers reached the Super Bowl, led by MVP Cam Newton.

Ten years later, the Panthers are knocking on the doorstep of their first division title since then.

And they are led once again by a number one overall pick. Bryce Young is in his third season and has seemingly started to pull it all together.

The Panthers are 8-8 and can clinch the NFC South with a win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Saturday. However, even if they lose, they can still secure the division title if the Atlanta Falcons defeat the New Orleans Saints on Sunday.

In that scenario, the Panthers, Buccaneers, and Falcons would all finish 8-9, with Carolina holding the three-way tiebreaker.

Carolina won’t want to leave anything to chance and will be focused solely on securing a win on Saturday.

For a young Panthers roster still finding its identity, Saturday’s matchup serves as both a benchmark of progress and a glimpse of what the team could become.

For Young, it’s far and away the biggest game of his career. He doesn’t need to be perfect, he just needs to steady the ship.

Carolina doesn’t need flawless execution—it needs steady composure from Young.

If the third-year quarterback can bring the same efficiency and discipline he showed two weeks ago, when the Panthers defeated the Bucs 23-20, Carolina will be in a strong position to control the game and force Tampa Bay to play catch-up.

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In that victory, Young completed 21 of 32 passes for 191 yards, throwing two touchdowns and committing no turnovers.

And after a rough performance in Week 17 against the Seattle Seahawks, Young was asked earlier this week whether he finds it easier to move on from a poor outing.

“You’re not going to like the answer,” Young said, via the team’s website.

“But it’s really not any different. Again, good and bad come with sports, and I think that’s the maturity you have to have at this level. Coaches challenge us with it, and you really have to take it to heart, good or bad, you feel like things went well or didn’t, you have to flush it the same way.

“You have to have the same approach. So, I’ve been trying to do that for a while now, so, at this point, it’s the same.”

Steady as they come.

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Recent trends and the rollercoaster of ups and downs this season suggest that Young and Carolina are primed for a strong showing against the Bucs, setting the stage for another thrilling finish to close out the regular season.

Carolina has a real shot at securing its first division title since 2015 and earning a trip to the playoffs for the first time since 2017.

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