The Carolina Panthers have entered Week 10 on a three-game losing streak. That slide started with a blowout courtesy of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 7, then a pair of pretty close defeats to the Green Bay Packers and Denver Broncos.
Even still, the reigning NFC South champs are atop their division—kind of by default. All four teams currently sit at three wins apiece, with Carolina (and New Orleans) one up in the loss column on Tampa and Atlanta.
So, the Panthers' upcoming matchup with the Saints is an important one. In fact, Mike Kaye of ESPN has tabbed it as the most important remaining game on their schedule.
Kaye, as part of ESPN's weekly power rankings, writes:
The Panthers have lost three consecutive games. And while they're still in contention
for another NFC South title, they need to right the ship immediately. That will be a challenge with a makeshift secondary and a struggling offensive line. The Panthers haven't won in New Orleans since the 2022 regular-season finale. It's time to end that skid or face the consequences of falling behind in the division race. Running back Chuba Hubbard needs to continue to be the model of consistency to give Carolina a leg up on the Saints.
Hubbard has had a quietly spectacular season, and quarterback Bryce Young bounced back after a rough couple of games—dropping three touchdowns and 276 passing yards on a very potent Denver defense. The Panthers also got strong performances from all three of their top tight ends and are getting great returns from rookies Zakee Wheatley and Lee Hunter.
Unfortunately, the team's weaknesses proved too much for them to overcome. Once again, Carolina's offensive line failed, as did their pass rush and their battered cornerback unit—leading to a 26-21 loss.
There's not much the Panthers can do about their injuries at corner, but their pass protection and pressure game have been consistently awful in every single game this season. Oh, and there's a name for doing the same thing over and over while expecting the results to change . . .
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This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: ESPN tabs Panthers’ next game as their most important one left in 2026
