If Carolina Panthers fans are being honest with themselves, they know that their team was not as good as their 8-9 record last season might have indicated.
We know this based on several trends that are going to be difficult to replicate in 2026—especially the number of one-score games that the Panthers wound up winning. Another area that'll be tough to keep going is their success on fourth down.
According to ESPN research, the Panthers led the league in scoring on drives with a fourth-down conversation last season.
The Panthers led the NFL in fourth-down conversions with 27 last season. They also scored a league-high 129 points on drives with a fourth-down conversion, 26 more than any other team (Rams, 103).
Some may credit head coach Dave Canales
and his playcalling, but we're more inclined to believe that starting quarterback Bryce Young is the biggest reason for their success in this area. Young's game-winning drives get the most attention, but his clutch factor manifests in more than just one way—and this is one of them.
Nevertheless, this is the kind of stat that tends to break the opposite way from year to year. If the Panthers can repeat that fourth-down success in 2026, it'll be a sign they are really doing something right in those situations.
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This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: ESPN's key stat for Panthers could signal big regression in 2026
