The Carolina Panthers' most significant flaw has been revealed before facing the Seattle Seahawks.
The Carolina Panthers are 8-7 and in first place in the NFC South with just two weeks remaining in the regular season, but they still have a whole lot of work to do.
Even if the Panthers beat the Seattle Seahawks this Sunday, they will still have to hope for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to lose to the Miami Dolphins. If the Buccaneers lose, Carolina clinches. But if Tampa Bay wins, it will set up a winner-take-all game between the Panthers and Bucs for the division title in the regular-season finale.
So how confident should Carolina fans be that the Panthers will get this done?
Well, Carolina is a very inexperienced ballclub and has some very obvious flaws that could sabotage its playoff chances.
As for the Panthers' most prominent issue? Bleacher Report's Brad Gagnon feels it is their inability to get stops on third down.
"In the last two weeks, the Panthers have allowed first downs on 56 percent of their opponents' third-down attempts," Gagnon wrote. "Only the Raiders and Cowboys have been worse on third down, even though a pass rush that owns the league's worst pressure rate has finally shown some life."
Carolina Panthers coach Dave Canales. Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images.There is no question that Carolina's defense has shown marked improvement from last season when it was the worst statistical unit of all time, but clearly, the Panthers still have some kinks to work out on that side of the ball.
Carolina made numerous defensive additions during the offseason, beefing up its defensive line with Tershawn Wharton and Bobby Brown while also signing safety Tre'von Moehrig. Additionally, the Panthers drafted edge rushers Nic Scourton and Princely Umanmielen to bolster their pass rush, which was among the worst in football last year.
While progress has certainly been made, it's clear that Carolina's defense is still not a major strength, as it ranks 17th in the NFL. The Panthers have also collected just 25 sacks, which ranks second-to-last in football. For reference, they tallied 32 sacks in 2024.
Carolina will be facing a very dangerous Seahawks offense this weekend, so it will definitely be interesting to see how the team responds.
The Panthers are looking to make their first playoff appearance since 2017 and to win their first NFC South crown in a decade.