Overreaction? Panthers Saved Their Season With Primetime Win Over Lions

Is it safe to say Carolina would've been doomed with an SNF loss?

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The Carolina Panthers season is alive and well after a primetime win over the Detroit Lions. Carolina beats Detroit 32-26 as Bryce Young and Tetairoa McMillan show out with their connection and elite-level plays.

This is the Panthers' first Sunday Night Football win in almost 11 years, with their last coming on October 25th, 2015, with a home victory over the Philadelphia Eagles. That team went on to play in the Super Bowl.

This isn't to say that Bryce Young and Co. are making a Super Bowl run, but winning on primetime still matters and can catapult a team toward a successful season.

With the win, the Panthers sit at first place in the NFC South, having a 2-2 record and a win over the Atanta Falcons, who just demolished the New Orleans Saints on Monday Night Football.

Obviously, Carolina's win was huge for morale, overall momentum, and the standings. What if the Panthers lost though?

What the Divison Would Look Like If Carolina Lost

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Despite obliterating the Atlanta Falcons in Week 2, Carolina would be tied for the second-worst record in the NFC South. The Falcons took care of business against the New Orleans Saints on Monday night, improving to 2-2 and looking elite on offense since Michael Penix Jr. came back.

Had Carolina lost, that would've been 0-2 at home, with two of its next three games on the road against teams that made the playoffs last season, the Eagles and the Packers.

Maybe the rest of the division struggles just as much as Carolina could, but thats why the win on Sunday night was so important, Carolina stays above the rest of the queue for another week, and can't make any mistakes this weekend with the bye.

No one expected the Buccaneers to be this bad for four weeks, so that gives Carolina some room, but even so, if Carolina lost, they'd be only one game above Tampa Bay. It's a world of difference for the rest-of-the-year outlook.

So no, it's not an overreaction. The NFC South will likely remain a tight race through the rest of the season, so the week-to-week outlook can fluctuate throughout the year.

How Carolina Keeps the Season Alive Moving Forward

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Carolina's next four weeks are as follows.

Sunday, 10/18, 1:00 PM ET, at Philadelphia Eagles

Sunday, 10/25, 1:00 PM ET, vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Thursday, 10/29, 8:15 PM ET, at Green Bay Packers

Sunday, 11/8, 1:00 PM ET, vs. Denver Broncos

2-2 in that four-week stretch is a must. If Carolina can somehow go 3-1, then there's something real going on in Charlotte.

Obviously, the Tampa game is a must-win for division purposes, but there's even a chance that the Bucs' are still winless by that point. Losing to a potential 0-6 Tampa Bay team would be as demoralizing a loss as any loss in the NFL.