Maybe a lot of folks were just off by a year when they thought the Carolina Panthers could compete for an NFC South title again.
Yesterday, the Panthers finally captured their second victory of the 2023 campaign—as they walked off on the visiting Atlanta Falcons en route to a 9-7 squeaker. Wide receiver DJ Chark, who made the biggest play of the game with his 18-yard reception on the game-winning drive, told reporters afterwards that he believes the team isn’t too far off from making a run at a division crown next year.
“‘Cause we have the players,” he explained, per ESPN’s David Newton. “We have good players all around. And the league is any given Sunday. So, just like today, nobody really gave us a chance to win anyway. We did. And a lot of other games we didn’t win, we was a drive or two off. So, I think we can compete with anybody. We just have to finish.”
Luckily for Chark and the Panthers, they finished off in Week 15, clinching the win off a 17-play, 90-yard possession. Unfortunately, however, there haven’t been too many of those triumphant drives—as five of Carolina’s 12 losses have come by one score.
But perhaps 2024 will have some more favorable finishes.
