20 - 23

(Dec 21, 2025 · Week 16)

A postseason berth couldn’t necessarily be clinched on Dec. 21, 2025, but in a must-have game against the NFC South’s four-straight-time champions, Bryce Young and Tetairoa McMillan made certain that the Panthers remained squarely in the proverbial hunt. Calm in a race against the clock — with 12 seconds remaining in the first half — Carolina’s rapidly-ascending duo worked a picture-perfect touchdown connection on a 22-yarder, memorable in what ultimately became a 23-20 win over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In Week 16’s aftermath, Carolina found themselves at 8-7, atop the division, and, as the future confirmed, ultimately successful in securing a postseason berth. Young’s 211-yard, two-score afternoon, and McMillan’s six-catch, 73-yard, one-touchdown complement proved to be pivotal in such pursuits.

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