Why the Carolina Panthers have earned surprisingly high marks for 2025 season

The Carolina Panthers are better than anyone thought they would be this season - and with four games left to go they have a legitimate shot at making the playoffs for the first time since 2017.

While there's still a significant gulf between Carolina and the true contenders around the NFC, consider that at this time last year the Panthers were just 3-9 and had made a fine art of losing winnable games.

That's why they deserve credit for their turnaround. One analyst has even given them a perfect grade for the 2025 NFL season so far. Here's Andrew Buller-Russ at Sportsnaut on why he's handed the Panthers an A+ grade.

Panthers get A+

"Did you think the Panthers would be 7-6 this season? Many didn’t. Most also expected them to get steamrolled by the Rams, who had been looking like bonafide Super Bowl contenders. We instead saw more great play from Bryce Young, who’s been much better as of late. A+ effort from Dave Canales’ team, especially considering their expectations coming into the year."

Oct 19, 2025; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales looks on during warmups prior to the game against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium. | Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images

The four-win improvement is what matters most, but in practically every statistical category the Panthers have made geniune progress from last season - the lone exception being a pass rush that's still very near the bottom of the league.

Their greatest weakness in 2024 was defending the run, an area that's seen the biggest jump from last season. The Panthers are only allowing 118.7 rushing yards per game, down from 179.7 last year.

Carolina's rushing offense has also seen a large uptick, going from 110.5 yards per game last season to 125.5 this season.

That simple formula - run the ball and stop the run - won't get this team to the Super Bowl without a lot of roster upgrades - but it is an identity that they can finally hang their hat on. With another strong draft class in 2026 we may be talking about a darkhorse playoff team at this time next year.

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