Scheduling oddity could destroy Carolina Panthers' playoff hopes

The Carolina Panthers are essentially in must-win territory. They have to win two out of the next three games, no matter what, if they want to make the playoffs.

The two most important ones are the two against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, but the home bout in Week 17 with the NFC-leading Seattle Seahawks is important, too.

And in both cases, the Panthers are getting shortchanged by the NFL's scheduling department. Not only is it wild that they have the Bucs twice in three weeks in a playoff fight, but the Bucs and the Seahawks get extra rest before facing the Panthers.

Bucs, Seahawks get extra rest to prepare for Panthers in crucial games

Dec 14, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) runs the ball against the New Orleans Saints during the first quarter at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers will visit the Carolina Panthers on December 21. Their last game before that was December 11. The Panthers played on the 14th.

The Seattle Seahawks will visit the Panthers on the 28th, and their last game will have been December 18, while the Panthers will play on the 21st. This happens in the NFL, but it's rare to get two opponents in a row with a "mini bye week," so to speak.

The Buccaneers are coming off a stunning loss, but they're not going to be as emotionally reeling anymore just simply because of the time off. The Panthers, for what it's worth, are also coming off a stunning loss and might still be reeling by the time Sunday's kickoff arrives.

The Seahawks just beat the Los Angeles Rams in one of the most dramatic games of the entire season, and ordinarily, they'd be at risk of an upset traveling across the country on an emotional high.

Instead, they get some time to come down before this week's games and before they travel for next week's games. The Hawks likely don't need any help to dominate the mediocre Panthers, but they're getting a little bit anyway.

Dec 14, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Carolina Panthers running back Rico Dowdle (5) runs with the ball against the New Orleans Saints during the second quarter at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

The Panthers put themselves in an unfortunate position by losing last week to the Saints, but the scheduling department did them no favors with this current stretch of opponents and dates for all of them.

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