The Carolina Panthers enter their bye week in a position they haven’t been in for years. Head coach Dave Canales' squad is staring straight at a playoff opportunity and the pressure that comes with it.
At 7-6 and a half-game behind the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with two matchups with their NFC South title rivals still looming, Carolina’s season now hinges on whether its young core can steady itself for the most critical month this franchise has played since 2017.
The flashes have been real. So are the growing pains. And with four games left, the margin for error is gone.