Dave Canales’s first-place club battles the Saints for the second time in six weeks. It’s a crucial game for a Panthers’ team with its eyes on a division title.

The Panthers, at 7-6, are ironically the team with the best record in one-score games, at 6-1. Two of those wins came against two of the best teams in the NFC: the Green Bay Packers and the Los Angeles Rams. They also hold a slim three-point victory over the Dallas Cowboys, who have been trying to make a late playoff push.

The Saints have to find a way to stretch the field and put pressure on the Panthers defense, whether it's through the air or on the ground. Running the football and utilizing play action (30th in the NFL, 18.3%) could be an interesting wrinkle to throw at Carolina, but that can't happen without an effective rushing attack.

Bryce Young has to bear some responsibility, but there are other reasons why he's thrown for under 200 yards so many times this season.

With a chance to see his Panthers turn in a winning season and earn a playoff berth for the first time since he became the team’s majority owner in 2018, David Tepper is excited with what’s happening in Charlotte.

The Panthers are as competitive as they’ve been in some time. So, naturally, some of their standout players should be recognized for it.

Good news: at least to begin this stretch one analyst sees McMillan as a strong play. The Big Lead has McMillan ranked among the NFL's top 15 wide receivers for Week 15.

The Super Bowl favorites had their six-game winning streak snapped by a team that was 6-6 coming into Week 13.

If the Panthers make the playoffs, offensive line coach Joe Gilbert is plenty deserving of a raise. Carolina's offensive line has been a revolving door all season, but Gilbert's unit continues to do a decent job of protecting Young and opening holes in the run game.

The Panthers' problems on third down are directly related to their inability to find good pass rushers, and to let their best go.