CHARLOTTE — And just like that, Christmas is over.
But for the Panthers, everything they've dreamed of all year is right in front of them in the next nine days.
Friday morning, they were back in the building and back to work, prepping for Sunday's home finale against the Seahawks, you know, the one with the potential to impact playoff position.
Those are real words I just said right there.
In case you've forgotten, the chance to go to the postseason for the first time since 2017 is on the line the next two weeks. It can happen as soon as Sunday with a win over the Seahawks, and a Buccaneers loss or tie against Miami, or with a tie and a Tampa Bay loss. Otherwise, it comes down to next week, and you can read all the permutations here.
So, as Dave Canales likes to say, it's time for a quick refocus and back to it. Because an entire season's worth of work is leading to a dramatic close.
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Hi Darin! It's been some time since the last question, but it's been a lot of fun seeing the growth of the team and the new level of hope from the fans here on the Mailbag. I guess after that Bucs win on Sunday (still perplexed at the inconsistency of the refs, but let's leave that question for an offseason Mailbag), no one could or should feel this season was any kind of failure - even if they get blown out (which I doubt they will) on both remaining games. They showed growth, resilience, and performed well under pressure to win (this last game especially). I won't lie, I was worried about Bryce Young during the first half of the season - not that he was bad, but he wasn't progressing as we had hoped after last season's final games. But he's been more consistent and made a lot of plays considering all the games, and especially those last ones.
As it's holiday season, no question this time, just wishing you and all the media (and others) staff of the Panthers, and also all the Panthers' fans (especially from this Mailbag) a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! It's time to be grateful for all the work that you put in for us fans to enjoy, and also for the team and the season that they gave us! And who knows if there's more to come still? (I asked for Ben McAdoo's crystal ball, but I don't think Santa would fall for that sneaky trick of a gift…). Thanks! — Fernando, Sao Paulo, Brazil
Even though he violated Rule 1 of the 'Bag by not having a question in the technical sense, Fernando is one of the OGs of the Mailbag, so he gets a pass this time.
The point of this season is the improvement. You don't even have to know anything about football to realize it, just some basic math. Five is more than two, and eight is more than five. And eight is also more than they've won in a season since 2017, so that's a good thing, even if they stop there.
But who knows when they're stopping? Maybe they continue to alternate wins and losses (which would still be fine, since it would mean a division title)? Or maybe they crack the code and go on another win streak straight into the playoffs? Who knows?
The journey is the thing, and this has been one. So enjoy it. Good luck with the crystal ball request. Jake from Candler claims he found it in a pair of pants at a Goodwill in the mountains, but who knows if that's the real one.
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Score one for the Goodwill crystal ball! Great win by the team and a fun time to be a fan this late in the year! Bryce looked electric out there, and I was glad to see young Lathan Ransom redeem himself.
I wasn't going to submit a question today, but then I saw the Pro Bowl voting results. Where is DB??? Did nobody read my pamphlet at the polls? I won't demand a recount, but I cannot in good conscience support such a fraudulent system by tuning in to watch the boyfriend of a pop star throw a dodgeball. Derrick Brown throws 300-lb linemen, imagine how hard he could throw a sphere of foam. Did they keep him out in the name of player safety?
Still, pass my congrats along to Jaycee Horn! Hope to see more of our guys in there next year. Merry Christmas to you and yours, and Keep Pounding! — Jake, Candler, NC
As noted above, we need to put this alleged crystal ball through a more thorough authentication and verification process. Maybe send some lottery numbers to just me, and we'll get to the bottom of this, Jake.
I have no idea why Derrick isn't on the Pro Bowl list either.
As we noted earlier this week, his stats are comparable or better to the other defensive tackles in the NFC, and he hasn't spit on anybody or spent half the season in a different conference this year. That ought to count for something. But what do I know?
Players and coaches voted last week, submitting their thirds of the ballot after the fans finished. And maybe they were distracted by their own hectic holiday lives, I don't know. But leaving Derrick out is kind of a calamity, and I don't understand it.
The good news for the Panthers is he's still here and seems at least a little more motivated. And Derrick is an intrinsically motivated dude anyway, so I expect him to be coming in hot the rest of the season.
(And the idea of Derrick Brown going full Charles Jefferson is, frankly, frightening.)
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What a year and what a game! The Bank was rocking and full of Panther fans! This season has been quite a ride with its ups and downs. I really thought that Mike Jackson said it best, "to give a punch you have to be able to take a punch." He was speaking of his day with Mike Evans, but it really seemed to sum up our team.
My question is how can we be the team that puts together some consecutive successful weeks? We have obviously taken some major steps towards that goal. Our depth is better, and we have still been able to compete when we have had injuries that would have sunk our team last year. Do we just need to mature, or is there a need for a few key veterans to help keep that week-to-week focus? — Chet, Myrtle Beach, SC
Gives me a chance to offer one of my favorite answers. The thing that's going to help is time and people.
This is such a young team. They kept 12 rookies around on purpose and played them. They're also not afraid to use guys you've never heard of and develop them. If it turns out that in two or three years we realize that cats like Claudin Cherelus and Corey Thornton are good players or that Ryan Fitzgerald is an honest-to-god NFL kicker, it's because they're getting needed work in this year. (Corey's doing well, by the way. The rookie cornerback is moving faster on a scooter than anyone I've seen, and has a smile on his face every day. He's going to be back and a part of this thing next year.)
But the other part of that equation, the time, is just as important. You can get better and win games in a hurry, but they're also trying to build a sustainable thing here. No quick fixes. And learning consistency is like graduate-level stuff for a young team. You can count on one hand the organizations in the NFL that are truly stable in a long-term way, and there are still fans who try to run off coaches like Mike Tomlin or John Harbaugh. But they've stayed in those jobs because they didn't just have a game plan; they have a plan. And plans aren't subject to the whims of the fan base, if they're worth anything, anyway. It takes a certain measure of courage to be willing to build slowly and sustainably. That's what it appears that Dan Morgan and Dave Canales are in the process of doing.
Watching the process has certainly been exciting, because you see evidence of their plan routinely. The fact that it's getting better is the point, not the fact that they're a win away from a division title.
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My wife always makes pintos, cornbread, and pork chops on Panther Sundays. We are such fans that if any family or friends show up during the game, they are often ignored. The night before our last Super Bowl appearance, neither one of us could even sleep because we were that excited. Panther games were our thing. She passed on October 3rd, and I never realized how much fun we had yelling and screaming for our favorite team. I tried to watch a couple of games, but they seemed so insignificant at the time. I caught the end of yesterday's game, where Bryce escaped being sacked and threw the game-winning touchdown. I couldn't help but wonder if maybe she's pulling some strings up there. Hope so. — Don, Trinity, NC
Dang it, Don. That just broke me in half. I've lost it at least twice reading this in the last week. (Editor's note: OK, three.)
This is amazing, actually, because it's a good reminder that not everyone's Christmas is or was Hallmark perfect. Holidays can be hard when your life is easy, but if you've just lost someone, or lost a job, are estranged from people you love, have chemo scheduled for the 24th because that's just the schedule, find yourself alone in a hospital or jail or a mountain of debt, or any number of real-life complicating factors, it can be hard to see everyone being merry and ho-ho-hoing around and not always feeling like joining them.
But the joining is the point, whatever that looks like for you.
I emailed Don this week to make sure he knew people were thinking about him on Christmas, and he told me his story about losing his beloved Cathy a few months ago. But through it all, he was so positive and upbeat and shared their jokes during the hard times. "We have honestly had a blast, and God has blessed us with love and laughter beyond all expectation," he said. "I think it's so sad that people don't smile. We have so much and God is so good."
Wrapping your head around the fact that someone can be so positive when life has been negative and finds joy in a ball game played by others is all the perspective you need in life. If anything in this communal experience gets you through the day, then that's amazing, and I'm humbled that you shared that story with me and let me be a little bitty part of it.
And if you've been reading this space for more than a minute, you already know that Don's this week's Friend Of The Mailbag, and I'll be getting the appropriate honorarium to him soon. But I also kind of want to just go eat pintos and cornbread and absorb his wisdom, too.
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In the absence of Tershawn Wharton, Bobby Brown III has started the past few games and, in my opinion, has played pretty well, particularly against the run (which isn't a surprise considering how massive and athletic he is). Obviously, Wharton still gives us a lot of upside against the pass, but my question is, do you think Bobby Brown has earned more snaps moving forward, at least in early down situations? I think he gives a huge boost to our run defense, which has improved a lot but can still be slightly shaky at times. — Grant, Columbus, OH
Large Robert has been playing well the last two weeks. It's an unusual comparison because he and Wharton are such wildly different athletes that giving them the same job title, "defensive tackle," seems weird. But here we are.
I think the larger point is that it's a large season, and you need more than three guys with that job title to be successful. So in a perfect world, you'd have three excellent starters and they'd play all 17 games. But it seldom works like that.
Wharton's such a different pass-rusher that he adds something they need, but they signed Bobby on purpose, too. The fact that he's still just 25 was also part of the point because they wanted to build this out over the years. With the steady LaBryan Ray and rookie Cam Jackson (who got some important pressure last week) in reserve, they have guys in the pipeline, along with rookie Jared Harrison-Hunteand practice squader Jaden Crumedy.
Fixing the defensive front was the point of last offseason, the way fixing the offensive line was the plan going into 2024 (you know, the year they went from 65 sacks allowed to 36). It's almost like it was on purpose.
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Holy cow! I flew up to see family and got some last-minute tickets. Even from the tippy top of 554 The Bank was rocking! The atmosphere hasn't been like that in a loooong time. First time in a while I've been proud to wear my jersey in the airport (where I bumped into Jake Delhomme after the game, funnily enough). So happy for Ransom after last week. Bryce out-dueled Baker today and has Tampa awfully nervous going into these last two weeks!
It seems the RB plan has changed again, with one of them back on kickoffs pretty regularly but then swapping on third downs. Will this pretty much be a fluid rotation the rest of the year? If it works, it works! Keep Pounding! — James, Sarasota, FL
I've heard so many versions in the last few weeks of how good the atmosphere in Bank of America Stadium was, and the reason is that it was good.
Fans have been waiting for this, and they've always been there. And now that the team is meeting them with performance, they're eager to show out. And they have one more chance on Sunday.
The Panthers are 5-2 at home at the moment, and they won five home games the last two years combined (as in 3-6 and 2-6 equals 5-12). That's worth celebrating.
As for the running backs, one of the regulars is always back on kickoffs with Trevor Etienne, because of the demands of the return unit (basically, the other one has to be a blocker if he doesn't have the ball in his hands). But it seems to have fallen into a 60-40 pattern between Rico Dowdle and Chuba Hubbard, giving both chances to make an impact.
And they want them both fresh for weeks like the next two. Because it's the time of year to run.
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Merry Christmas and Happy 2026! I just wondered what the Panthers do on Saturdays when they don't have to travel? Do they get an extra practice in, or is it time off for them? I'm really glad they're at home this week against Seattle. The crowd will be so loud, they'll hear the cheering in Fort Mill! Thanks for all you do to keep us in the loop. — Linda, Charlotte
Home Saturdays are like an extra gift, because you don't chew up the middle of the day flying somewhere. And even a nice plane trip is still a plane trip.
They go through what they call their mock game on Saturday mornings, going over the final details of the game plan, and then dip out after lunch. This week, a lot of them likely have family around, so it's appreciated. They reconvene at the team hotel early evening for final meetings, giving Canales a last chance to emphasize the week's message, before curfew and a good night's sleep. Then it's a regular gameday routine.
But being at home, even with that routine, is still a blessing.
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Go Panthers! Keep Pounding!!! It was their week to win after the bad loss to New Orleans. Hopefully, they will beat Sam Darnold and Seattle next week and break the every other week trend and finish with three wins in a row. The possibility of a Panthers-Steelers Super Bowl exists!!!
OK, I know that the Panthers are growing and still need to grow. You talked about needs last week about linebacker and outside linebacker. Have you looked at possible additions for those positions and both lines?
It's going to be fun watching them and how they finish. Shout out to the trainers and coaches for keeping the players healthy and available. Merry Christmas to you and the entire staff. — Roger, Matthews, NC
Well, technically, a Panthers-Steelers Super Bowl could still happen. They're among the dwindling group of teams with a chance. So that's a real thing I just said there.
As for potential offseason additions? I'm not going to lie to you, Roger, I haven't thought about it for a second. And that's really nice for me.
Usually, by this time, the last five years or so, our thoughts have long since turned to draft prospects. And there are people in the building (Dan Morgan and his staff) who have been in that process for months.
But there's actual, present-day football to think about this week, so we've got that going for us. Which is nice.
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Darin, few of us fans thought we would be 7-7, there has been much improvement this year. The team has come from a bad team to a good team, getting better. I believe that Canales and Morgan have continued to rebuild the team young, and become dawgs, that is what we need and want. Whether we make the playoffs or not, there was improvement. Consistency is what the team needs now, and avoiding making stupid penalties at the most inconvenient time. Too many dropped passes, some because Bryce isn't accurate, behind, or overthrown, causing the receiver to drop the ball. Overall, every team has those issues; the Panthers need to reduce them. Just what I think I see is that the team has really improved on both sides of the ball and on special teams. I do believe that in the draft and free agency, the safety positions need much help. When we lose games, and evidenced again with the Saints' loss within the last two minutes, it was because of completed passes over the top into our secondary, giving enough yardage to score. The defensive line stops the run, and then we let a rookie QB beat us with passing. I have hope that we can beat the Bucs twice in three weeks if we play to our best ability, but consistency is not in our favor. I do hope we can carry our improvement over into next season and continue to build a stronger, more consistent team. Go Panthers, keep on Pounding.
P.S. Darin, get the word out to the fans in the stadium when our defense is on the field, make noise and chant Keep on Pounding consistently, the defense will hear it and react to it strongly. — Kenneth, Stuttgart, Germany
What he said.
As for the Keep Pounding, that's one of the cool things about this season. It's become organic, rising up on its own without the need for PA prompting (even on the road).
But one of my favorite comments of the last week was in reference to Greg Olsen hitting the drum going into the fourth quarter and leading the chant, and a friend said simply.
"It felt like 2015."
It's been a minute. Enjoy.
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First and foremost I want to compliment our special teams because usually when a kick returner gets past the kicker it's over. Our guys, after getting beaten, still have the hustle to Keep Pounding and make the tackle.
Secondly, to all the other readers and responders, I want to say let's not talk badly about our DC anymore. I'm pumped for the rookies who are making plays, and the vets who are leading them, but I don't think it would happen without Ejiro Evero knowing more about coordinating a defense than we do. Way more. We were pumped when we got him, pumped when he didn't get a head coaching job after the first year, let's stand behind him. Lastly Bryce Young is my QB, and Xavier Legette is a receiver I want around long term. If anyone argues go watch the film.
Second submission, but I'm pumped off the win, and I forgot on the first one to ask for a shoutout to my alma mater, Calaveras Redhawks, for winning the first-ever state championship in football!!! This season they embodied the Keep Pounding mentality with a crushing run game and a stingy D. — William, Mokelumne Hill, CA
For the special teams, the goal is to never have kickers or punters in that position of having to tackle. That's not their job, so you hope they're never asked to do it.
And it's especially important this week, with a Mr. Rashid Shaheed on the other sideline.
The Panthers' special teams operation knows him well from his time with the Saints, and watching his film last week (his 58-yard punt return touchdown against the Rams) was a reminder to tighten things up in the return game — after the Bucs did too much damage on kickoffs.
Shoutout to the Calaveras Redhawks, although I always assumed they were the Bullfrogs.
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Is Sam Martin on track to become an All-Pro this season? I haven't seen a single punt from him all year that I would consider disappointing or detrimental to the team at all. Instead, he has pinned back a lot of opponents like the Bucs this weekend. — Zach, Charlotte
See, this is why Zach is going to be a great success in life. He thinks differently and sees things others don't.
Sam has been quite good this year, perhaps even excellent at his job. He didn't get any recognition for the Pro Bowl (not that a flag football game really needs a punter), but there's a lot that goes into that.
His visible stats are kind of middle of the road; he's 15th in the league in gross average at 47.2 yards per punt. For a 35-year-old, that's good. (The 35-year-old he replaced here, 2010s All-Decade punter Johnny Hekker, is averaging 46.6 this year for the Titans.) But gross average can be kind of a caveman stat ("Me kick far, him go get"), and isn't particularly helpful in knowing who's good or bad at the nuanced job of field position.
Martin's also 19th in net punting average at 40.4 yards per punt, which factors in the return. Fairly pedestrian, except when you consider that one game when the entire punt coverage team blew a gasket in New England. Patriots returner Marcus Jones had three for 167 yards and a touchdown that day, the kind of big numbers that can blow up a season's worth of averages.
You don't just get to cavalierly throw out the numbers that don't look good for you (or my college GPA would have been much higher), but if you take that single game out of the mix, Martin's net for the rest of the year is 44.0, which would have been fourth in the NFL and second in the NFC. He's also tied for sixth in the league with 24 punts inside the 20. Those are numbers that reflect well on Martin and the punt team as a whole. Other than that one game, Mrs. Lincoln, the work has been quite good.
Is that going to get him any postseason honors? Maybe not. Does it make him a net positive addition for the team this year, and someone who grades out well? It does.
Speaking of grades, it's never too early to GET BACK TO CLASS, ZACH. No coasting through spring semester. The work is its own reward.
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What's your favorite holiday tradition at home and with the Panthers organization? — Reginald, Philadelphia, PA
My favorite holiday tradition at work is being surrounded by people who realize the world is not on our schedule, and that Christmas falls smack dab in the middle of Week 17 and a playoff chase. So it can be kind of a drag at times, but as Hyman Roth said, "this is the business we've chosen." People are fired up about the Panthers right now, and we're here to share their stories, which means sometimes instead of wassailing or whatever (Do people still wassail?), we're working. But that's the deal. You sign up for a career in sports, that's part of what comes with it. And doing that work with committed and talented people remains one of my favorite things.
One of my favorite holiday traditions at home is relying on the grace of my family to cover my butt for the above paragraph, and doing all the stuff I don't get done until January or February.
But as I age, I like the simple things. A real tree that smells like forest when you walk in the house. Leaving it up until the Super Bowl (not making much headway getting the new wife on board with that particular Darin tradition). Seeing excited little kids fidget and their parents try to wrangle them from my seat at the back of the church on Christmas Eve. Egg nog. McAdenville. Egg nog in McAdenville. Those three-ingredient sausage balls Mom makes (Mash up amounts of Bisquick, sausage, and cheese, 350 for an amount of minutes until they're brown, boom, there's the secret family recipe.) Saving the gag "Ear Wax Candle Making Kit" gift box to put something for Baby Girl in and wrapping it again every year (still hilarious at Year 23). Witnessing Charlie Brown fight valiantly yet quixotically against the rising tide of self-interest and commercialism, while wishing I could dance like the cat in the orange sweatshirt between the twins in purple. Seeing the Grinch's heart grow three sizes that day. Watching terrible Christmas movies with the family because the movie ain't the point. Listening to Trombone Shorty's version of "O Holy Night," played slow and contemplative, because that's how it's supposed to sound, and Johnny Cash's "Silent Night," knowing it doesn't get better than that. Remembering that the kid whose birthday we're celebrating started out homeless (and never looked like Matthew McConaughey), and carrying that knowledge and his spirit to serve other people into the year to come.
Whew, that's a lot. I'm kind of a lot. But Christmas can be too. Hope yours was amazing.
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And on that note, let's go lightning round, brought to you by the patron saint of the lightning round Jeff from Fuquay-Varina, to close it out this week.
YAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!! — Bart, Monroe, NC
Bart has clearly received the gift of passion, along with economy of language.
Christmas came early to Charlotte this week! Wishing you, Darin, and all of Panthers Nation the Merriest of Christmases and the Happiest of New Years! Keep Pounding! — Jan, Flat Rock, NC
Thanks, Jan, we're all blessed beyond belief.
I was in the Mailbag last week (still can't believe it)—the very last entry in the lightning round. Your answer was something along the lines of "The setup for something legendary. Tune in next week and see." And you were darn right. Something legendary indeed. This is a team that can clearly best anyone in the league. I am proud to be a Panthers fan, whatever the result of this season may be, but this team is not perfect. Our Ransom may have been paid (pun intended), and we may be a team with claws and fangs (pun intended AGAIN), but we have yet to be THE TEAM TO BEAT. How do you think we continue our quest to be the kings of the NFC this offseason? — Micah, Gastonia, NC
See, now you're 2-for-2. They call that a streak. Maybe you just spoke it into existence.
