Nobody expected the Carolina Panthers to be tied for the NFC South lead with four games remaining. But that's precisely where head coach Dave Canales' squad finds itself coming off their bye week.
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers were thought to be coasting to yet another divisional crown. Carolina and the Atlanta Falcons were struggling to find their feet. The New Orleans Saints were as advertised, languishing among the bottom feeders with nowhere to go but up.
Then, everything changed. The Buccaneers started losing — a lot. The Panthers, although wildly inconsistent, began to generate some momentum.