Where the Carolina Panthers stand in NFL playoff race after bye week

Things are different for the Carolina Panthers this year. For the first time since the 2017 season they find themselves in the thick of the playoff race, and after a fortuitous bye week they are tied for first place in the NFC South with the declining Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

Let's see where the Panthers stand in the complete NFL playoff picture going into Week 15.

NFC standings - Week 15

1. Los Angeles Rams (10-3)

2. Green Bay Packers (9-3-1)

3. Philadelphia Eagles (8-4)

4. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (7-6)

5. Seattle Seahawks (10-3)

6. San Francisco 49ers (9-4)

7. Chicago Bears (9-4)

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8. Detroit Lions (8-5)

9. Carolina Panthers (7-6)

10. Dallas Cowboys (6-6-1)

11. Minnesota Vikings (5-8)

̶1̶2̶.̶ ̶A̶t̶l̶a̶n̶t̶a̶ ̶F̶a̶l̶c̶o̶n̶s̶ ̶(̶4̶-̶9̶)̶

̶1̶3̶.̶ ̶A̶r̶i̶z̶o̶n̶a̶ ̶C̶a̶r̶d̶i̶n̶a̶l̶s̶ ̶(̶3̶-̶1̶0̶)̶

̶1̶4̶.̶ ̶N̶e̶w̶ ̶O̶r̶l̶e̶a̶n̶s̶ ̶S̶a̶i̶n̶t̶s̶ ̶(̶3̶-̶1̶0̶)̶

̶1̶5̶.̶ ̶W̶a̶s̶h̶i̶n̶g̶t̶o̶n̶ ̶C̶o̶m̶m̶a̶n̶d̶e̶r̶s̶ ̶(̶3̶-̶1̶0̶)̶

̶1̶6̶.̶ ̶N̶e̶w̶ ̶Y̶o̶r̶k̶ ̶G̶i̶a̶n̶t̶s̶ ̶(̶2̶-̶1̶1̶)̶

It speaks to how tough the NFC is that the Bears went from the No. 1 seed all the way down to the seventh seed on one pass in their loss to the Packers.

Green Bay is no slouch, but despite what the standings might suggest the conference isn't quie as competitive as it looks, here. In reality, the Rams and the Seahawks are significantly tougher and more balanced than anyone else on this side of the bracket - and the NFC field is much better than the AFC. Right now it would come as a shock if anyone but LA or Seattle won the Super Bowl.

That's bad news for the Panthers - because if they can sneak into that No. 4 seed in place of Tampa, then they will likely be hosting either the Seahawks or the Rams at home in the Wild Card round.

Still, any playoff appearance at all would come as a welcome improvement over what Carolina fans have gone through in recent years. Maddeningly inconsistent as they are, things are trending up for this franchise.

Nov 30, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; A view of a Carolina Panthers helmet on the field before the game against the Los Angeles Rams at Bank of America Stadium. | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

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