Panthers take Bucs out, receive strong grade for their effort

The Carolina Panthers are in sole possession of first place in the NFC South. Excluding last week's brief stint at the top thanks to the Thursday Night Football game, it's the latest they've been in first since 2015.

They got there off the back of a very strong, pretty well-rounded performance against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. They're not in the playoffs yet, but they're now in a pretty good spot to make it. For that, they earned a strong grade from one NFL insider.

NFL insider has high praise for Carolina Panthers after win

Dec 21, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) celebrates with wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan (4) after a play during the first half against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

The Carolina Panthers have meandered a bit recently, alternating wins and never getting hot enough to take this division. That continued with a win on Sunday, but that was one of the most important wins.

It was enough, CBS Sports insider John Breech claimed, to declare them a legitimate NFL team. For their performance, he gave the Panthers a B+ grade.

"The Panthers are for real. If you take away one thing from this game, that should be it. The offense might not wow you, but it constantly makes big plays, like the 6-yard TD pass from Bryce Young to Ja'Tavion Sanders on third down that gave Carolina a 20-17 lead in the third quarter," Breech said.

That extends to the defense. The unit was not "dominant," but it made "clutch plays," like Lathan Ransom's game-sealing interception on the final possession for Tampa Bay.

"The Panthers (8-7) haven't gotten a chance to play very many big games this late in the season over the past few years, but they got an opportunity here and they took advantage of it.," Breech said. "This is an impressive team that now has a very real chance to win the NFC South for the first time since 2015."

Dec 21, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers running back Rico Dowdle (5) runs during the first half against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

"Impressive" and "Panthers" haven't gone together in quite some time. The last time they legitimately smelled the playoffs was in 2017. They have been one of the worst teams in the NFL since, but the tide is turning.

And while 8-7 and leading the worst division in football may not sound all that "impressive" to many, it's a huge, monumental step forward for this organization.

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