Panthers exceed expectations by punching ticket to playoffs

6 days ago 2

The Carolina Panthers have arrived, and they've done it ahead of schedule.

Despite coming up short in their own chance to clinch the NFC South title in Week 18, the Panthers got some help down I-85—where the Atlanta Falcons held off the New Orleans Saints on Sunday. The win handed Carolina their first division title since 2015 and punched their ticket to the playoffs for the first time since 2017.

And the excitement is palpable.

"I'm just so excited for Panthers fans everywhere," head coach Dave Canales told reporters after watching the Falcons' victory. "The neighborhood is crazy. We were yelling from our couch, as a family. Walked outside where we normally ride bikes and walk the dogs and there were just neighbors in the front yards. Everyone was really excited."

Since coming to Carolina, Canales hasn't dabbled, at least openly, in grand expectations. The same has gone for president of football operations and general manager Dan Morgan—who, as a linebacker, had been a part of some of the organization's glory days.

Morgan and Canales, along with the backing of owner David Tepper and the legwork of executive vice president of football operations Brandt Tilis, looked to build their team up "the right way." Sure, their vision may have appeared drawn out to some—but their brick-by-brick approach has been designed to leave no stone unturned.

Now, in just the second year of this regime, the Panthers are division champions. They are the No. 4 seed in the NFC and have earned the right to play host in the postseason for the first time in a decade.

Have they overachieved? Perhaps. Given their youthful and largely inexperienced roster, not many—if any—folks were expecting them to knock off the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC South . . . at least not yet.

If there were any explicit expectations going into 2025, they were to see the team compete late into the campaign. Even with the progress they made in Year No. 1 under Morgan and Canales, making some real noise in December is something the Panthers hadn't done in a while.

But they've done more than just make some noise. They've made it to the dance—and, as unlikely as it seems—they're just three wins away from reaching the Super Bowl.

As a whole, the Panthers still have much to work through on both sides of the ball. The challenge after the postseason, however and wherever it ends, will be maintaining their progress and building on their somewhat sudden success.

As for now, it's time to enjoy this moment and welcome playoff football back to Charlotte.

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This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: Panthers exceed expectations by punching ticket to playoffs

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