Disappointing loss leaves Carolina Panthers clinging to faint playoff hopes
The inconsistent Carolina Panthers remain in the thick of the 2025 playoff race, but Monday night’s defeat in San Francisco didn’t do them any favors. The franchise hasn’t posted a winning season or reached the playoffs since 2017, nor have they claimed a division title or won a postseason game since 2015.
At 6–6 through 12 games, Carolina already has more wins than it recorded in 2024 (five) and just one fewer than its combined total from the previous two years (seven). Still, Dave Canales’s team has been hard to predict, alternating wins and losses over its past six matchups.
Thomas Valentine of Pro Football Focus dropped the Panthers in his latest NFL Power Rankings, sliding them from No. 23 to No. 26 after the frustrating loss to the 49ers. He noted, “The Panthers’ defense kept them within striking distance in the 20–9 Week 12 loss, but Bryce Young’s inconsistency (62.0 grade; 33rd) and the offense’s struggles killed any chance of a second-half comeback.” Valentine added that with Tampa Bay losing to the Rams, Carolina had a prime opportunity to move to 7–5 and take over the NFC South lead. “Instead, their playoff odds are now at 23 percent.”
Carolina currently sits ninth in the NFC standings and is one of 10 conference teams at .500 or better. Securing a playoff spot will be difficult, though both the Panthers and Buccaneers remain tied with six wins.
The two rivals face off in Week 16 in Charlotte and again in Week 18 in Tampa. If Canales’s squad can build some late-season momentum, a postseason berth is still within reach.
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