How the Carolina Panthers can win the NFC South: Insider's take

The Carolina Panthers haven't won the NFC South since 2015, when they went 15-1 and dominated their way to a Super Bowl berth. Since then, they've made the playoffs once as a wild card and mostly been one of the NFL's worst teams. With the division fairly open, this could be their year to return to glory.

It's going to take some effort. The New Orleans Saints will be worse than last year, and the Panthers will be better. But the Atlanta Falcons and Tampa Bay Buccaneers, both of whom contended for the title last year, are neither discernibly worse, so it's an uphill climb. Here's how Carolina can do it, according to Cody Benjamin of CBS Sports.

How Carolina wins the division

The Panthers have something in common with Atlanta: their success hinges on a young quarterback. For Carolina, it's Bryce Young, who has overall had a very rough go in his first two seasons. "Young eventually found his way back into the starting role under center and started to get into a rhythm down the stretch. After reclaiming the starting job in Week 8, Young posted an 88.9 passer rating over the final 10 games and had 15 passing touchdowns to just six interceptions," Benjamin said.

The analyst noted that Young also recorded five rushing touchdowns during that time. "Over the final month, Young's numbers were even better, registering a 102.3 passer rating in the final four games to go along with a 65.5 completion percentage, eight passing touchdowns, and just two interceptions," Benjamin said. "If he has truly turned a corner and plays closer to what we saw at the end of 2024, that could make Carolina a sleeper pick in the NFC South."

That feels like an awful lot riding on Young, though the Panthers' season does likely rest on his shoulders. The defense has to be better, and his pass-catchers must be more reliable. The NFL is a QB's league, though, so don't expect the credit or blame to be placed anywhere else.