Prior to last Sunday, the Carolina Panthers hadn’t felt what it was like to be a team above .500 since early October of 2021: Matt Rhule was the head coach, Sam Darnold was the quarterback and the head of an offense that featured star running back Christian McCaffrey, and they had raced out to a 3-0 start to the year before slowly falling back down to Earth — where they have remained ever since.
But leaving the Meadowlands in Week 7, that all changed as the Panthers celebrated a 13-6 win, giving them their third-straight victory and a 4-3 record to put them on the right side of .500 and just a game back of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC South. But for this upstart Carolina team, the grade is getting much steeper. Not only because it is dealing with an injury at quarterback, but because it’s about to face its toughest test yet as reigning NFL MVP Josh Allen and the Buffalo Bills come to Bank of America Stadium. The Panthers’ hopes of becoming a playoff team will be put to the test.
Where to watch Panthers vs. Bills live
- When: Sunday, Oct. 26 | Time: 1 p.m. ET
- Where: Bank of America Stadium — Charlotte, North Carolina
- TV: Fox | Stream: Fubo (try for free)
- Follow: CBS Sports App
- Odds: Bills -7.5; O/U 45.5 (via DraftKings)
Panthers vs. Bills: Need to know
- The return of the Red Rifle? The Panthers’ win last week came at a cost, as quarterback Bryce Young was forced to leave the game and is now described as “day-to-day” with what has been reported as a high ankle sprain. Young did not participate in practice on Wednesday, but he was seen working out on the side and — most notably — was not seen in a walking boot. Should Young be unable to play, veteran backup Andy Dalton would get his first start of the season after filling in for Young from the third quarter on a week ago. The famed “Red Rifle” did just enough to keep the Panthers afloat against the Jets, completing four of seven passes for 60 yards while taking one sack. The Panthers are 1-5 in games that Dalton has had to start since 2023, with his lone win coming in a 36-22 drumming of the Raiders a year ago.
- Old faces in familiar places. For the first time since becoming the coach of the Bills, former Panthers defensive coordinator Sean McDermott will lead his team into Bank of America Stadium as the visiting coach in a regular season game. McDermott coached in Carolina from 2011 to 2016 under franchise great Ron Rivera, leaving his mark by overseeing defenses that helped lead the Panthers to three NFC South titles in a row before a 15-1 record and trip to Super Bowl 50 in 2015. Many figures from that great Panthers team later built the Bills into what they’ve become, including general manager Brandon Beane, the former assistant GM in Carolina. Among the notable former Panthers players now on the Bills includes linebacker Shaq Thompson, the Panthers’ first round pick in 2015 who became the understudy to Luke Kuechly and Thomas Davis before carrying the baton all the way until 2024.
Panthers vs. Bills prediction, pick
As an upstart team that’s new to the winner’s circle, the Panthers are still in a position where they have to earn the trust of Vegas, as the bookies have hedged their bets and made the Bills a -7.5 point favorite in this game. Carolina has gone undefeated at home in uptown Charlotte this year, but their chances in this game have taken a considerable hit due to the injury to Bryce Young as well as their rushing attack coming back down to Earth a week ago. Still, the Panthers are playing very well on defense — Derrick Brown has been arguably the best defensive tackle in football this season — which will at least give them a chance against a Bills team that had lost two straight prior to their bye. The Bills may bounce back in this matchup, but they and all other teams in the NFL will quickly find out that the Panthers are no longer a doormat. Pick: Bills -7.5, Under 45.5
