‘Time is starting to run out’ on 2025 Carolina Panthers, insider claims

The Carolina Panthers came up with a head-scratching performance on Sunday. One NFL analyst finds Dave Canales’s inconsistent club very hard to figure out.

Nov 9, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) scrambles as New Orleans Saints defensive end Chase Young (99) pressures in the third quarter at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Won’t the real Carolina Panthers please stand up…please stand up…please stand up?

There’s something a little shady about Dave Canales’s team. The team has split its first 10 games, and their rollercoaster performance this season has NFL.com’s Eric Edholm (who has the team at No. 19 in his latest NFL Power Rankings) a little perplexed.

“If anyone has a good read on exactly what kind of a team Carolina is,” asked Edholm, “please drop me a line. I’d love to know. Because it has become obvious that these Panthers require a broader scope than drilling down on what happens to them each week. We've seen a 30-0 win followed by a 29-point loss in Weeks 3 and 4. Three straight victories, then another blowout defeat. An upset in Green Bay followed by a home loss to the lowly Saints. Quite an interesting road to 5-5.”

Nov 9, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales and coaching staff on the sidelines in the third quarter at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

The loss saw Canales’s team post season lows in points scored (7) and total yards gained (175). First-time NFL head coach Kellen Moore got just his second victory in 2025, and his team exploited a supposedly-improved Carolina defense for 388 total yards—a season high for Moore’s last-place club. For Carolina, the lackluster showing in the 17-7 loss could wind up being very costly by year’s end.

“Sunday’s loss really was a killer to the Panthers’ playoff chances,” added Edholm, “and it was another step back for the offense, which now has totaled 45 points in the past four games. With Rico Dowdle bottled up, Bryce Young couldn’t deliver against a Saints defense that was pasted the week before. Time is starting to run out with this inconsistency in Carolina, even with the Panthers sitting only a game and a half out of the last playoff spot.”

The only thing consistent about the Panthers as of late is their incredible inconsistency.

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