In Week 12, the Panthers took the Kansas City Chiefs to the brink, as the then-two-time defending champs needed a last-second field goal to pull out a 30-27 win. And if not for a devastating drop from Legette two weeks later, they probably would have knocked off the eventual champs—the Philadelphia Eagles—on the road.

The last time the Carolina Panthers finished a season with a record above .500 was 2017 when they went 11-5. In the years since, the club has gone anywhere from 2-15 to 7-9. Unfortunately, head coaches Ron Rivera,

The Panthers are back in prime time ("Monday Night Football") after being left out in 2024. They're also in line, with the league's fifth-easiest schedule, to potentially be a contender in the weak NFC South if they can get off to a winning start for only the second time in the past six seasons.