The Carolina Panthers knocked off the top-ranked Los Angeles Rams on Sunday, a stunning result that validates their resurrection under coach Dave Canales and keeps their playoff hopes alive heading into the bye week. At 7-6, Carolina has already matched the total wins from the previous two seasons combined.

The question now is simple: Can the Panthers do more than tread water? With four games remaining, they control their destiny—statistically unlikely at just a 22% playoff probability according to The Athletic's simulator, but mathematically possible.

They Have a Simple Path

Two of Carolina's final three games come against Tampa Bay, which sits a half-game ahead in the NFC South. Sweep the Buccaneers in Weeks 16 and 18, then win either at New Orleans in Week 15 or at home against Seattle in Week 17, and the Panthers take the division at 10-7 with the head-to-head tiebreaker.

It won't be easy. Tampa Bay has won nine of the last 10 meetings, including a 48-14 rout in December 2024. Without that sweep, Carolina would need Tampa Bay to collapse against New Orleans, Atlanta, and Miami—unlikely. A wild card bid at 10-7 would require Seattle, Chicago, and Dallas to lose multiple games plus a Detroit loss.

They're Beating Good Teams

For weeks, Carolina's 4-4 record was dismissible: the Panthers hadn't beaten anyone with a winning record. That changed with a road win over Green Bay, then Sunday's statement against the Rams. Carolina's defense forced three turnovers from Matthew Stafford, who had accumulated just four in the previous 12 weeks.

The Panthers remain wildly inconsistent. They followed the Green Bay win with a loss to 30th-ranked New Orleans. Their 1-3 start included defeats to Arizona and two teams—New England and Buffalo—that beat them by 29 or more points. They dismantled Atlanta 30-0 yet have shown they can collapse just as spectacularly.

But they're also a confident team. Sunday's win included two fourth-down touchdowns, part of a league-leading trend: Carolina has attempted 30 fourth-down conversions this season and converted 21 of them for a 70% success rate—a stark contrast to 2023, when desperation drove their league-leading attempts but yielded only a 4% conversion rate.

Their Defense Is Vastly Improved

Under coordinator Ejiro Evero's continued leadership, the Panthers have transformed from historically bad to merely middle-of-the-pack defensively. Last season, they ranked dead last in scoring defense, allowing nearly four points per game more than any other team and surrendering over 400 yards per game.

This year: 15th in scoring defense, 18th in total defense—an 8.6 point and 73-yard improvement per game. They've already matched last season's total takeaways.

The 1-2 Punch at Running Back Has Thrived

Rico Dowdle and Chuba Hubbard each have over 400 rushing yards—a distinction shared by only five other NFL teams, all with winning records: Chicago, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, and Seattle.

Dowdle has been a free-agency steal. Signed to a one-year, $2.75 million deal, he's already earned $1.5 million through yardage incentives and could push his total near $6 million. The Panthers' investment in their offensive line has paid off: they rank in the top 10 in rushing offense at 125 yards per game. Both backs contribute in the passing game with 52 catches for 448 yards and four touchdowns—a pair the Panthers had zero receiving touchdowns from two years ago.

Bryce Young Is Leading Them to Victories

Only three NFL quarterbacks—Matthew Stafford, Patrick Mahomes, and Dak Prescott—have more games with 3-plus passing touchdowns than Bryce Young this season. Young has four such games, a stunning turnaround from one in his first 29 games with the franchise.

When Carolina beat Atlanta in overtime three weeks ago, Young threw for 448 yards, breaking Cam Newton's franchise record.

The concern entering this season was that the Panthers were winning with Young, not necessarily because of Young. First-round receiver Tetairoa McMillan has erased those doubts, producing 57 catches for 826 yards and six touchdowns—on pace to break the team's rookie receiving yardage record.

Young, benched mid-season last year, now appears certain to get the franchise's fifth-year option exercised for $26.5 million guaranteed in 2027. He's on pace for the team's first 20-touchdown season since Newton in 2018, ending the longest active drought without one for any NFL team.