The Carolina Panthers had a chance to win the NFC South on Sunday. They had a tall task in taking on Sam Darnold and the Seattle Seahawks. However, they have shown the ability to take down some good teams, especially when quarterback Bryce Young turns things on in the fourth quarter. Unfortunately, Carolina could not pick up the win on Sunday in Charlotte.
Darnold only threw for 147 yards and a touchdown in this contest. But running back Zach Charbonnet picked up 110 yards on the ground while adding two touchdowns. The Seahawks rode that performance to claim a 27-10 victory on the road.
After the game, Young was asked about next week's contest against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. With Carolina's loss to the Seahawks, this Week 18 clash is now for the NFC South title. Young is looking forward to this matchup, putting the Panthers' Week 17 loss behind them.
“It's always going to be a new game; it's 60 minutes. We have a ton of respect for them. It's a division opponent, so you always know how tough it is. It's always fun playing those chess games, knowing you're facing them twice. There's no advantage based on outcome. It's going to be a great challenge for us,” Young said, via David Newton of ESPN.
The Panthers are looking for their first division title since 2015. That year, Cam Newton won MVP and led Carolina to the Super Bowl. Unfortunately, they lost the Super Bowl to Peyton Manning and the Denver Broncos. Carolina has had just one winning season since, coming in 2017.
The Buccaneers, meanwhile, are looking to retain the NFC South crown for the fifth consecutive season. Unfortunately, Tampa can only win the division with a losing record, as they are currently 7-9. Ironically, they were also the most recent team to win their division with a losing record, having done so in 2022.
