Breaking Down the Easiest and Toughest Stretches in the Panthers 2024 schedule

Matt Alquiza | May 15, 2024

Jan 7, 2024; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) leaves / Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

The Carolina Panthers have known who would be on their 2024 schedule since Baker Mayfield took a knee in Bank of America Stadium to end week 18 of last season. Tonight, when the schedule dropped, everyone got their first look at the order in which the games would be played.

For a team that ended with the worst record in the league, Carolina got stuck playing some heavy hitters. The Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs. The NFC East giants, the Dallas Cowboys and the Philadelphia Eagles. MVP candidate Joe Burrow and the Cincinnati Bengals.

Tough sledding for Dave Canales' first season as a head coach.

Like any season, Carolina will have ups and downs. Recently, the downs have severely outnumbered the ups, but alas, ups have to be on their way, right? Let's take a look at the Panthers' easiest and most difficult stretches in their 2024 schedule.

Easiest stretch

Weeks 7-10
@ Washington
@ Denver
New Orleans
@ Giants (in Munich)

Potentially two rookie quarterbacks (Jayden Daniels and Bo Nix), a home game against a division rival littered with question marks, and a Giants squad in disarray on a neutral field. This stretch of games will define the Panthers' season, for better or for worse. A couple of wins in games where Carolina boasts an advantage at quarterback? Carolina may begin to dream about a playoff berth. A couple of losses against teams that are perceived to be at the bottom of the barrel with Carolina? Fire up your 2025 mock drafts.

Toughest Stretch

Weeks 12-15
Kansas City
Tampa Bay
@ Philadelphia
Dallas

At least these three out of these four games are at home! Four weeks, four 2023 playoff teams, three All-Pro quarterbacks, and a division rival looking for some get back against their former offensive coordinator that moved north. Woof.

The easiest and toughest stretches of the season are buffered with a bye week, but Carolina has their work cut out for them in weeks 12-15. The Panthers desperately need to stack wins early (Los Angeles, Las Vegas, and one of Atlanta and New Orleans come to mind) before this post-bye gauntlet.