Even though this season has been another rollercoaster of emotions for the Carolina Panthers, head coach Dave Canales' squad is making encouraging progress. And after getting to 6-5 with a stunning overtime success against the Atlanta Falcons, they are now just half a game from the NFC South lead.
Canales is eager to take things one step at a time. The Panthers were caught looking too far ahead before getting beaten by the New Orleans Saints, so the same cannot happen again. Some challenging tests are coming, but there is clear momentum building for a franchise more accustomed to languishing among the bottom-feeders at this time of year.