How the Panthers Became NFC South Contenders and Why MNF Is Their Biggest Test Yet

Perhaps there really should be pressure mounting on the Carolina Panthers.

They actually have something to lose at this stage of the season.

The Panthers go into Monday night’s road game against the San Francisco 49ers as co-leaders in the NFC South.

Check your calendar. Yes, it’s late November.

A victory against the 49ers would put the Panthers in solo possession of first place in the NFC South. They’ve already reached the six-win level for just the second time in a seven-year span, though producing a winning record is no sure thing — and that hasn’t happened for Carolina since 2017.

Yet it’s still fair to ask what the NFL was thinking approving a Panthers game in prime time on a Monday night this late in the season — or any time in the season, for that matter.

That’s enough to make you as suspicious as learning that Bryce Young threw for three touchdowns and 448 yards in a game. (He really did.)

The matchup with the 49ers naturally puts a spotlight on the last time the Panthers had a star player. That was Christian McCaffrey, the versatile running back who now plays for San Francisco.

Until the Panthers won five of their last six games, the McCaffrey angle was basically the only interesting thing about Carolina meeting San Francisco.

This isn’t to say that the Panthers are the favorites in the division, but the path has certainly been carved out nicely.

They’re in as good shape as any NFC South team at quarterback — from both an injury standpoint and an experience standpoint. It’s surprising they’ve reached this position without giving up on Young.

He’s still there and coming off the best performance of his three-year career. Yet that doesn’t mean he’s the long-term answer — he’s equally capable of tossing up a dud, and he’s not earning recognition for consistently strong play. Some of his passing totals are also deflated by a rushing attack that has quietly become one of the best in the league.

Young has thrown for 200+ yards in only two games this season. You still need to scroll a while to find his name in the quarterback ratings.

But Panthers running back Rico Dowdle has rushed for 833 yards, ranking fourth in the NFL — nine spots ahead of McCaffrey’s 707. Dowdle’s emergence has taken significant pressure off Young.

For his part, McCaffrey is top-10 in the league in receiving yardage, so his overall value remains immeasurable.

Beginning with the game against the 49ers, Carolina has six games remaining, with five against playoff contenders. The good news: half of those matchups are against NFC South opponents — a group that hardly intimidates anyone.

So Carolina fans should enjoy the attention while it lasts. If we’re still having this conversation in mid-December, the Panthers will have accomplished something real.

If nothing else, they’ve crawled back into relevancy. And now everyone else gets to take a look as well.