NFL expert predicts 'chic' Panthers will finish with this improved record in 2025
Well, that seems to be the verdict from USA Today's Nate Davis, who recently made his record predictions for the upcoming campaign. And when it comes to those trendy cats, Davis has Carolina finishing at 8-9—just one game off his projected NFC South champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9-8).
He writes:
They're a chic playoff pick in some quarters after QB Bryce Young and the rest of the team finally got off the mat during the encouraging second half of last season. WRs Xavier Legette and Tetairoa McMillan, the club's most recent first-rounders, could further elevate this offense in 2025. But a defense that was resoundingly the NFL's worst by most important metrics in 2024 remains a looming question despite the return of dominant DE Derrick Brown. Still, a fast start could be in the offing as the Panthers won't face a 2024 playoff outfit until Week 8.
That Week 8 opponent will be the Buffalo Bills, who are set to come into Bank of America Stadium in late October. Before matching up with the reigning Most Valuable Player Josh Allen and his herd, the Panthers will face the Jacksonville Jaguars, Arizona Cardinals, Atlanta Falcons, New England Patriots, Miami Dolphins, Dallas Cowboys and New York Jets—who combined for a 44-75 mark last season.
If the Panthers can finish slightly better than Davis' forecast, they could break a franchise-record seven-year playoff drought. The team has gone 36-80 in that span.
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