The Carolina Panthers are undefeated… in the month of November.
I know, crazy, right? Widely dubbed one of the worst teams in the NFL for their ugly performances with both Bryce Young and Andy Dalton under center, the Panthers were able to take down one of the other worst teams in the NFL, the New Orleans Saints, in a certified Battle of the Bads, eeking out a win 23-22.
Have the Panthers gotten better? Maybe a little; Young has played pretty well since returning to the team in Week 8, but really, it comes down to playing a bad team and fighting them tooth and nail on the way to the proverbial payout window.
And the best part? In Week 10, the Panthers get to do it again, as they are facing off against the New York Giants in Germany no less, with their opponent coming off their fourth-straight loss. While the Giants are mostly healthy heading into Week 10, with just three of their regular starters out for the game, it sure feels like the Panthers are having a moment, and that moment could, and frankly should, continue into Week 10.
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1. Bryce Young looks like a starting quarterback in Week 10
After being sent to the bench in Week 3 after a pair of ugly efforts to start out the season, Bryce Young returned to the field as a starter in Week 8, completing 65 percent of his passes for 224 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions on the way to a 14-28 loss to the Broncos.
Now granted, Young was only allowed to start because his fellow quarterback, Andy Dalton, was in a car accident, but his efforts were good enough to justify another look in Week 9, and there is where he really shined, outgunning Derek Carr and the New Orleans Saints to secure the Panthers their second win of the season.
Would the Panthers go back to Dalton for Week 10, when they face off against a similarly ineffective team in the Giants? Or would Young get to test his mettle once more, you know, doing what most first-overall picks in the NFL draft are afforded to do without a second thought? Well, asked this question ahead of the game, Canales let it be known for the world to know: Young is good to go in Week 10.
“This is about progress from one week to the next,” Canales stated via Pantherswire. “I preach ‘finish.' I talk about ‘finish' all the time. Finish everything. Finish plays, drives, quarters, halves. Finishing games. He did a fantastic job of finishing that game the right way, finding a way to win and really battling that way. So I was really proud of Bryce for that.”
Fortunately for Canales, he should be rewarded for his efforts, as the Giants have allowed at least 200 yards in four of their nine games so far, including to not-so-heavy-hitters like the Cleveland Browns, the Dallas Cowboys, and the Pittsburgh Steelers. With just one defensive back, slot cornerback Andru Phillips, ranked within the top-40 players at their position according to PFF, there should be yards to have through the air for Young in Week 10, but unless things get ugly in a hurry, it shouldn't have to, as there are serious yards to be had on the ground against the G-Men.
2. Chuba Hubbard runs wild as a $37.2 million man
As you may or may not have heard, after opting against trading any of their running backs before the 2024 NFL trade deadline, the Panthers opted to hand their top rusher, Chuba Hubbard, a brand new four-year, $37.2 million contract heading into Week 10.
Is that an unusual decision, considering they still have Miles Sanders under contract and just traded up to draft Jonathon Brooks in the second round? Oh yeah, that has been debated notably over the past few days, but do you know what? When you hear Hubbard talk about his extension, it's hard not to root for him.
“I mean, it definitely lifts a burden off me a little bit. I've always wanted to take care of my family for life, and for my mom and my sister and everybody in a good spot, and to be able to do that and know that your hard work pays off, it definitely takes some of that stress off you,” Sanders told the Panthers. “But at the end of the day, I want to be great. I want to be a Panther for life, and I want to change the culture here and win games. So, still got a lot of work to do.”
While conventional wisdom may suggest that a Giants defense that employs Dexter Lawrence would be hard to run against, you would be wrong, as, over the first nine weeks of the 2024 season, New York has actually allowed the fifth-most yards of any team in the NFL, 1,283 on just 247 attempts. Granted, plenty of that production came when Saquon Barkley made his triumphant return to MetLife Stadium, with the Pro Bowl rusher famously outgaining the Giants' entire offense on his own, but still, Hubbard is a darn good back having a fantastic season, and he should be able to put that to work as a result.
3. The Panthers record their second-straight win in November
So, if the Panthers are able to throw the ball effectively and run wild on the Giants' defense, they should be able to secure a win in Week 10, right?
Do you know what? Yeah, this game is in Germany, really early in the morning, and anything but usual, considering the Panthers already have their franchise guy – for now at least – and there likely isn't someone better in the 2025 NFL draft unless they really like Jalen Milroe, they should be far more fired up to beat the Giants than the Giants want to beat the Panthers.
Granted, is it a tough bet to, well, bet on the Panthers for anything but taking Ls? Yes, there are surely plenty of fans in Carolina who have ugly Fanduel balances because their favorite team rarely secures a win. Still, this might just be worth another shot, as the Panthers are hot, the Giants are not, and Canales surely wants to put a few more wins on his resume before the season comes to an end, as each should make his chances of returning in 2025 more likely.
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