The Biggest Carolina Panthers Game Since?

When the Carolina Panthers face the San Francisco 49ers on Monday Night Football next week, it’ll be the biggest game the franchise has had since David Ter purchased the team in the summer of 2018. This is the biggest one. And really, the only other game that might come close is the Thursday night debacle in Pittsburgh later that year in 18. Carolina entered the game six-2 and lost the game by 30 points. 31 points to be exact. TJ Watt essentially ended Cam Newton’s career that night by ravaging his shoulder. Cam was never the same after that. But that was Thursday Night Football. Monday Night Football feels bigger than Thursday night. Sunday night feels slightly bigger than Monday night does. Is there anything else over the last seven years you’d put in that conversation in terms of buildup, in terms of exposure, how big the stakes attached to it? Maybe Steve Wilks season in 2022 when they faced Tampa Bay and it was a pseudo NFC South championship game. Close game, Mike Evans, some big catches, him proving to be one of the greatest Panther killers ever. Maybe Cam Newton’s homecoming against Ron Rivera of all people facing Washington in 2021. Those felt big. This feels even bigger. Panthers ners has endless storylines. The ners, if you have the in the hunt graphic to pull up from a playoff perspective, the San Francisco 49ers at seven and four currently hold the final wildcard spot, the seventh and final spot, one game ahead of the Carolina Panthers at six and five. So Carolina is one game off of the playoffs. And San Francisco is the team in their way that they’re trying to catch. Bryce Young’s coming off a franchise record in passing yards. Also, this is the first time, believe it or not, Christian McCaffrey is going to be facing Carolina for UNCC writes in. CMUC is going to go off. I can’t even be mad about it. First time Christian McAffrey is facing the Panthers. The last time these two teams met was right before the trade deadline. Matt Rule’s last game as the Panthers coach. It was it was all Ners fans. Carolina loses the game. They fire Matt Rule. They trade Christian McAffrey off to San Francisco. They haven’t met since then. Dave Canalis here. He was setting the stage talking about being on Monday Night Football in a standalone game with this franchise. It’s a great opportunity for us. There’s going to be a couple more cameras out there. It’s going to be under the lights. Um, this will be a great environment for our guys and easy for me to sell just what these games feel like. It’ll feel like a playoff environment, certainly against a playoff caliber type of team. These are the opportunities that we need. The fact that Carolina has had seven straight losing seasons adds more weight to this game. It makes it feel like this game’s even bigger than any game Carolina’s played since a noteworthy game 10 years ago was played inside Levi Stadium involving the Carolina Panthers. I think you know what game we’re referring to there. In all honesty, this is probably the biggest game the Carolina Panthers has played have played since their last playoff game facing the New Orleans Saints to close the 2017 season. And there’s a good chance, one way or the other, this game Monday night is going to define the rest of Carolina season. Hopefully, it’s in a positive way. Hopefully, it’s Carolina wins this game and they’re going to be in the playoff mix, maybe even win the NFC South. Maybe that’s the conversation because what we didn’t acknowledge in that graphic is Carolina’s only a half game back of Tampa while a full game back of the San Francisco 49ers. Hopefully it goes that way. But it could go the other way, Will. It could be like this Pittsburgh loss where Carolina’s 6-2 and then that game sinks their season. How about the last time Carolina played at Levi Stadium? 2019. Carolina started the season 0 and2. That was the Cam Newton’s foot is such situation. Kyle Allen comes in, wins four games in a row. Carolina’s four- two. People are feeling good about the team. They go to San Francisco and kind of like the Pittsburgh game, allow a 50 burger and then go on a long losing streak and that’s that for Ron Rivera. He’s fired as the calendar’s flipping the December. Let’s hope that’s not what this is. But it’s a standalone prime time game where national perception is often molded, shaped about Bryce Young, about Dave Canales. This is where the country is going to make their minds up about what this team is, what these players are as well. And for that, just more reason. It’s the biggest game the Panthers have had since David Ter bought the

Josh poses the question the last time the Carolina Panthers had a game as big as the one coming on Monday Night Football against the San Francisco 49ers.

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13 comments

  2. I have always appreciated how Josh would be a voice of reason over the last few seasons even though some might call him pessimistic. Look at how those teams preformed. He was right. Then this season it took me by surprise how optimistic he seemed even after a few early losses. Looks like he knew there was reason to be looking forward to these games.

    But this is too much. The cowboys game was the biggest game, then the bills game was the biggest game, then the packers game was the biggest game. None of it matters if we dont make the playoffs. Nobody will look at MNF and go hey they did well there but just couldn't finish strong. We need four wins to have a solid shot at the playoffs. It would be nice to get this one but its not make or break.

    It is nice to have a prime time game under the belt win or lose come playoff time though.

  3. biggest monday night football game to prove the world since Patriots 2013. I remember in 2013 no one gave any credit when we were 6-3 going against a 7-2 patriots team and we beat them.

  4. This is a big game like in 2013 Week 10 facing the 49ers in Candlestick, that was the turning point of the Ron Rivera era… this game is about being relevant.

  10. It’s a pipe dream to win on a MNF in Santa Clara. Panthers do not have what it takes to win against a play off caliber like the 49ers. GO NINERS 😁😁

  13. Playoff team? Still gotta play Rams, Seahawks, Bucs twice. Playoff?
    Good luck stopping Niners O- Purdy, CMC, Kittle, Pearsall, Jennings, Moore, B Robinson, Juszczyk… minus Aiyuk. This team’s offense is peaking at the right time.

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