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2023 Carolina Panthers schedule analysis
On Thursday night, the NFL released the complete Carolina Panthers schedule. Per NFL Research, Panthers opponents had a 130-157-2 record in 2022, making their 2023 schedule the sixth-easiest in the NFL.
Circle the date: Week 8 vs. Houston Texans (Oct. 29)
The top three picks in the 2023 NFL Draft -- QBs Bryce Young and C.J. Stroud, plus edge rusher Will Anderson Jr. -- will likely feature prominently in this mid-season showdown. Young (Carolina) and Stroud (Houston) went 1-2 in the draft after fantastic college careers at Alabama and Ohio State, respectively. Young and Anderson were teammates in Tuscaloosa but will be on opposite sides in this one. If you are looking for a game with promising young talent, Panthers-Texans should be near the top of the list.
Toughest stretch: Weeks 3-6 (at Seattle Seahawks, vs. Minnesota Vikings, at Detroit Lions, at Miami Dolphins)
Carolina didn't get any favors with the way the season opens. The Panthers start with a division road game at the Falcons and then a division home game against the Saints. While division games are tough enough, though, it is the four games immediately following those two that the Panthers should fear the most.
Three of those games are on the road and each team in that span finished 2022 with a winning record. Seattle, Minnesota and Miami reached the playoffs while the Lions (+145) are the current favorite to win the NFC North and projected to win nine games in 2023. (h/t CBS Sports)
Easiest stretch: Weeks 8-11 (vs. Texans, vs. Indianapolis Colts, at Chicago Bears, vs. Dallas Cowboys)
The Cowboys are a good team, but Carolina has nine days off after playing the Bears on Thursday night in Week 10. The Texans and Colts have a combined over/under win total of 12 games and both are most likely a year or two away from being a contender. The same could probably be said about the Bears after they went 3-14 last fall and are trying to build a viable defense on the fly.
"Who won the Panthers-Bears trade?" Part One: Week 9 at Chicago
Carolina paid a handsome price to acquire the No. 1 overall pick in April's NFL Draft, which it used to select Young. The Panthers traded their 2023 first-round (ninth overall) and second-round (61st overall) picks, a 2024 first-round pick, a 2025 second-round pick and wide receiver DJ Moore to Chicago to get who they hope will develop into the team's franchise quarterback.
Of course, it will take more than one game to determine whether the trade was the right move or not but when has that stopped anyone from overreacting in the moment? If the Panthers lose, they got fleeced. If they win, general manager Steve Fitterer is a genius and everyone in the organization should get a raise. Is that an overreaction? Sure. But it's also just an average day in the NFL.
Plan accordingly pic.twitter.com/cIBb4cIDsn
— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) May 12, 2023
More must-reads:
- Bryce Young to make Monday Night Football debut vs. New Orleans Saints in Week 2
- Gary Jennings receives invite to Panthers training camp
- The 'NFL Passing YPG leaders' quiz
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Chiefs have a no-brainer trade target after loss vs. Bills
The last time the Kansas City Chiefs lost four games in a season, they went on to make the Super Bowl and beat the San Francisco 49ers. Six years have passed since, and Andy Reid's team will have to make some adjustments to replicate that fortune. That's especially evident after another heartbreaking regular-season loss to the Buffalo Bills, which exposed what might be the Chiefs' biggest flaw on offense: a lack of an explosive running game. That's why they need to pick up the phone and reach out to the New York Jets to trade for Breece Hall. Chiefs need to trade for Breece Hall According to Dianna Russini of The Athletic, the Jets are more than open to trading Hall, who's in the final year of his contract. "The Jets have been getting calls on RB Breece Hall for a while, and while there is interest, New York is looking for at least a third-round pick in return," wrote Russini. Hall is just 24 years old, and while he had a major injury as a rookie, he's been pretty durable since. This season, he's up to 117 carries for 581 rushing yards and two touchdowns, averaging 5.0 yards per carry. He also has 21 receptions on 30 targets for 178 receiving yards. The Chiefs average 121.2 rushing yards per game, the 12th most in the NFL. That's with Patrick Mahomes accounting for one-third of their rushing yards, though. Neither Isiah Pacheco — who's currently out with an injury — nor Kareem Hunt has been efficient, and rookie Brashard Smith might not be ready to take on a bigger role. The Chiefs ran for just 79 yards against a Bills defense that gives up the fourth-most rushing yards per game (141.4), and Hall could certainly fix those woes.
The 'NFL franchise TD-catch leaders' quiz
Happy 37th birthday to three-time Pro Bowl wide receiver and 2012 PFWA Most Improved Player award winner, Dez Bryant! The Oklahoma State product played in nine NFL seasons, eight of which were with the Dallas Cowboys. In his time with Big D he caught 531 passes for 7,506 yards and a franchise-record 73 touchdowns. He also served as an important bridge for Dallas in the Tony Romo-Dak Prescott transition, catching 50 passes for 796 yards and eight scores in Prescott’s 2016 rookie campaign. His time in Dallas ended with an achilles injury in 2017, but he did catch on for six games with the Baltimore Ravens in 2020 before hanging up his cleats. Which brings us to today’s quiz. How many of the players with the most receiving touchdowns for each NFL franchise can you name in five minutes? Good luck! Did you like this quiz? Are there any quizzes you’d like to see us make in the future? Let us know your thoughts at quizzes@yardbarker.com, and make sure to subscribe to our Quiz of the Day Newsletter for daily quizzes sent right to your email!
Cowboys Go Big: 3 Bold Trades Change Everything
The Cowboys could trade for Maxx Crosby, T’Vondre Sweat, and Minkah Fitzpatrick, reshaping their defense with bold moves before the 2025 NFL trade deadline. Cowboys Eye a Defensive Overhaul The Dallas Cowboys could be on the verge of one of the boldest defensive shakeups in franchise history. With the offense ranking among the NFL’s best, owner Jerry Jones is exploring trades to rebuild the defense around proven veterans — could those players be Maxx Crosby, T’Vondre Sweat, and Minkah Fitzpatrick? Each move would fill a critical void: Crosby would restore Dallas’s edge pressure, Sweat would anchor the interior alongside Kenny Clark and Osa Odighizuwa, and Fitzpatrick would take over as the Cowboys’ top safety, replacing Donovan Wilson. With tradable assets like Trevon Diggs, Jalen Tolbert, and Mazi Smith, and multiple future high draft picks, Dallas has both the means and the motivation to make major moves before the 2025 trade deadline. Maxx Crosby: The Elite Edge Dallas Needs Maxx Crosby is everything the Cowboys defense has been missing since parting ways with Micah Parsons — a relentless, emotional leader who sets the tone every snap. The Las Vegas Raiders continue to insist he’s untouchable, but the Cowboys may force their hand with a massive offer involving future first-round picks. Crosby recorded 12.5 sacks and over 80 pressures last season, ranking among the top three edge rushers in both total pressures and pass-rush win rate. His relentless playstyle and durability make him a perfect fit in Dallas, where physical toughness has too often been inconsistent. Potential Trade Scenario 1: Cowboys receive: Maxx Crosby Raiders receive: 2026 1st-round pick (Dallas) and 2026 1st-round pick (via Green Bay) Why it works: Dallas gets an All-Pro pass-rusher still in his prime and under contract through 2029. Las Vegas gains valuable draft capital for a potential rebuild. Fit: Crosby opposite Jadeveon Clowney, with rookie Donovan Ezeiruaku in rotation, would give the Cowboys one of the NFL’s most feared edge units. T’Vondre Sweat: Power for the Interior One Cowboys’ defensive weakness has been their run defense, and T’Vondre Sweat could solve that overnight. The 6’4”, 360-pound defensive tackle from Texas has quickly developed into a powerful run defender for the Tennessee Titans, capable of clogging lanes and collapsing the pocket. Sweat would join Kenny Clark and Osa Odighizuwa in a three-man rotation that finally gives Dallas the interior stability it has lacked. Potential Trade Scenario 2: Cowboys receive: T’Vondre Sweat Titans receive: DT Mazi Smith and a 2027 2nd-round pick Why it works: Dallas upgrades instantly with a young, dominant tackle, while Tennessee gains a developmental replacement and a valuable future pick. Fit: Sweat’s presence would allow Clark and Osa to rotate more efficiently, keeping the front line fresh deep into games. For Dallas, this move would finally transform the defensive front from soft to stout. Minkah Fitzpatrick: New Leader in the Secondary With the Miami Dolphins facing roster and cap pressure after multiple major extensions, the Cowboys could pounce on an opportunity to land Minkah Fitzpatrick. The veteran safety is one of the NFL’s most intelligent and versatile defensive backs, capable of playing single-high, man coverage, or in the box. Potential Trade Scenario 3: Cowboys receive: Minkah Fitzpatrick Dolphins receive: CB Trevon Diggs, WR Jalen Tolbert, and a 2026 4th-round pick Why it works: Dallas upgrades at safety, replacing Donovan Wilson with an All-Pro who brings more range, communication, and consistency on the back end. Miami, meanwhile, gets a younger Pro Bowl corner and valuable depth for its offensive system. Fit: Fitzpatrick’s arrival would push Wilson out of the starting lineup, creating a safety trio of Fitzpatrick, Malik Hooker, and Juanyeh Thomas — giving Dallas flexibility and experience across the board. Building a Championship-Caliber Defense If Dallas pulled off even two of these trades, the defensive identity would completely change. Crosby gives Dallas the edge terror it’s lacked since Parsons’ departure. Sweat turns the interior into a wall with Clark and Osa. Fitzpatrick commands the secondary with experience and playmaking ability. Each trade represents a short-term gamble with long-term potential payoff — exactly the kind of aggressive approach Jerry Jones has long been known for. Time for Bold Moves Trading two 2026 first-rounders for Crosby, Mazi Smith and a 2027 second for Sweat, and Diggs, Tolbert, and a 2026 fourth for Fitzpatrick would reshape the Cowboys defense overnight. It’s costly. It’s aggressive. And it’s exactly the kind of move that can turn a playoff team into a Super Bowl threat. With Dak Prescott playing some of the best football of his career and the offense firing on all cylinders, this may be Dallas’s best window to win big. Adding stars like Crosby, Sweat, and Fitzpatrick could make the Cowboys’ defense as dangerous as their offense — and finally make them true contenders again.
Three wild statistics about the 2025 World Series you may not know
The 2025 World Series between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Toronto Blue Jays will go down as one of the best seven-game Fall Classics in history. Won in extra innings by the Dodgers on Saturday night, this year's World Series had plenty of wild moments and memorable performances. However, there were also some things that happened during this year's World Series that were historic but also didn't make as many headlines as Yoshinobu Yamamoto's MVP pitching or Will Smith's World Series-winning home run. With that in mind, here are three things that will add this year's World Series to the baseball record books. This 2025 World Series was just like ... 1926? Sure, this year's World Series went seven games. However, the pattern of wins between Toronto and Los Angeles was unlike anything seen in the Fall Classic since the St. Louis Cardinals beat the New York Yankees in seven games in 1926. Per Elias, the 2025 World Series was just the second-ever World Series to follow the path of the home team winning Game 1, road team winning Game 2, home team winning Game 3, and the road team winning Games 4 through 7, joining the Cardinals and Yankees 1926. The Dodgers player made headlines and history Los Angeles outfielder Justin Dean was in the middle of one of the most talked about plays of Game 6 when he signaled to the umpires that Addison Barger's hit to left-center in the ninth inning was wedged under the wall. With that signal, the umpires ruled it to be a dead ball, keeping Barger to a double and preventing Myles Straw from scoring from first base (he was held at third with the dead ball call). That decision kept the Los Angeles lead at 3-1, which would be the final as Tyler Glasnow worked his way out of the jam to record the save. Dean being put into the game for defensive purposes happened more than you might have thought during not only the World Series but the entire postseason as well. The 28-year-old Dean appeared in 12 games this postseason but did not register a plate appearance, entering a defensive replacement in center field 10 times and as a pinch-runner twice. His 12 games played during the postseason are the most ever in a single postseason without any plate appearances (among non-pitchers), surpassing the previous record of 10 games without a plate appearance by Clay Bellinger in 2000. Bellinger appeared in 11 games for the Yankees in 2000, getting a hit in his lone plate appearance. Hitting home runs? It's an international thing. Trailing 4-3 in the ninth inning of Game 7, Miguel Rojas of the Dodgers launched a game-tying home run, marking the 10th home run of the World Series hit by an internationally born player. Also joining Rojas as a player born outside the United States to hit a homer during the Fall Classic were Shohei Ohtani (three homers), Vladimir Guerrero Jr. (two), Alejandro Kirk (two), Enrique Hernandez (one) and Teoscar Hernandez (one). Per Elias, the 10 home runs are the most in a single World Series by internationally born players, breaking a tie with 2017 and 2019, which had nine each.
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