{"id":763021,"date":"2026-02-19T19:27:16","date_gmt":"2026-02-19T19:27:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/763021\/"},"modified":"2026-02-19T19:27:16","modified_gmt":"2026-02-19T19:27:16","slug":"despite-early-exit-3-panthers-stars-outshined-peers-in-nfl-playoffs","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/763021\/","title":{"rendered":"Despite Early Exit, 3 Panthers Stars Outshined Peers in NFL Playoffs"},"content":{"rendered":"

The 2025 NFL postseason is very much in the rear view mirror. A total of 14 teams combined to play in 13 games. When the proverbial smoke cleared, the Seattle Seahawks punished the New England Patriots, 29-13, in Super Bowl LX<\/a> at Levi\u2019s Stadium.<\/p>\n

Thomas Valentine <\/a>of Pro Football Focus basically put together an all-star team based on a player\u2019s performance in the playoffs. Whether it was the six clubs that were one-and-done, or a Pats\u2019 team that played in four postseason contests, Vallentine picked out the best performers from the wild card round to Super Sunday.<\/p>\n

Dave Canales\u2019s NFC South champions, who lost to the Los Angeles Rams, 34-31, <\/a>in the wild-card round, have three representatives on this list, one each from offense, defense, and special teams, respectively.<\/p>\n

Panthers\u2019 Blocker Stood Out in Wild Card Playoffs\"Damien<\/p>\n

Jan 10, 2026; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) looks to pass as guard Damien Lewis (68) and offensive tackle Yosh Nijman (77) block in the third quarter in an NFC Wild Card Round game at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

RELATED: Carolina Panthers must lock down services of star wide receiver<\/a><\/p>\n

Carolina Panthers<\/a>‘ left guard Damien Lewis<\/a> earned a berth on Valentine\u2019s list. \u201cThe Panthers ended their long playoff drought in 2025, winning the NFC South<\/a> for the first time since 2015 and making the playoffs for the first time in eight years. Their ambitions ended after a 34-31 loss to the Rams in a game where the Panthers almost shocked the NFL, but their performance\u2014particularly on the offensive line\u2014turned some heads. Damien Lewis\u2019s 81.1 PFF grade was the second-highest among all guards, and the highest among left guards in the postseason.\u201d<\/p>\n

Unsung CB Mike Jackson Was Stellar vs. Rams\"Mike<\/p>\n

Jan 10, 2026; Charlotte, NC, USA; Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Puka Nacua (12) attempts to make a catch against Carolina Panthers cornerback Mike Jackson (2) in the second half during the NFC Wild Card Round game at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

In terms of the defensive side of the ball, there was a standout for Canales\u2019s club in the secondary. \u201cLike (Eagles\u2019 CB Quinyon) Mitchell,\u201d said Valentine, \u201cPanthers\u2019 corner Mike Jackson <\/a>only played one postseason game in a 34-31 loss to the Rams. And like Mitchell, Jackson was good in the regular season and brought that edge into the postseason. Jackson\u2019s 90.4 PFF grade was second among cornerbacks, as he permitted just one catch on seven targets for 18 yards against the Rams.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJackson allowed a 0.0 passer rating when targeted,\u201d added Valentine, \u201cgrabbing an interception while breaking up two other passes on seven targets. His 90.0 PFF coverage grade was second among all cornerbacks, and the veteran has consistently proven that he\u2019s one of the NFL\u2019s most underrated at the position.\u201d<\/p>\n

Panthers\u2019 Special Teams Also Made Their Presence Felt\"Isaiah<\/p>\n

Jan 10, 2026; Charlotte, NC, USA; Los Angeles Rams wide receiver Xavier Smith (19) with the ball as Carolina Panthers linebacker Isaiah Simmons (27) defends in the first quarter in an NFC Wild Card Round game at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images<\/p>\n

RELATED: Where Panthers should spend vs. where they should draft<\/a><\/p>\n

Finally, versatile Isaiah Simmons<\/a> got the nod when it came to special teams. \u201cThe former Cardinals first-round pick has bounced around teams in recent years and was picked up by the Panthers midway through the 2025 NFL season. Simmons played just one regular-season snap on defense for the Panthers, but he was a regular special-teamer down the stretch.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHis 90.8 PFF grade led all special teamers in the postseason,\u201d added Valentine. \u201cSimmons played 27 total snaps for the Panthers\u2019 special teams against the Rams in the playoffs and had one tackle.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The 2025 NFL postseason is very much in the rear view mirror. A total of 14 teams combined…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":763022,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":"","_share_on_mastodon":"0"},"categories":[77],"tags":[7,6,84],"class_list":{"0":"post-763021","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nfl-playoffs","8":"tag-football","9":"tag-nfl","10":"tag-nfl-playoffs"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nfl\/116098949025565516","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/763021","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=763021"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/763021\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/763022"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=763021"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=763021"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nfl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=763021"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}