Carolina Panthers 2017 schedule release: Games, dates and times
By John Buhler
The Carolina Panthers plummeted to 6-10 in 2016. With their 2017 NFL schedule, can Carolina get back to the NFC Playoffs this upcoming season?
After reaching Super Bowl 50 in 2015, the 2016 Carolina Panthers stumbled into being one of the 10 worst teams in football. They finished the year at a miserable 6-10. Carolina inherits a fourth-place schedule in 2017. So just how navigable is it for the Panthers?
Carolina’s six annual division games are always tough. The NFC South will have to play the AFC East and the NFC North in its entirely in 2017. Though Carolina gets the Green Bay Packers and the Miami Dolphins at home this fall, they will have to go on the road to play the Detroit Lions and the New England Patriots.
These are the home and road opponents in 2017:
Home: New Orleans, Atlanta, Tampa Bay, Green Bay, Minnesota, Buffalo, Miami, Philadelphia
Away: New Orleans, Atlanta, Tampa Bay, Chicago, Detroit, New England, New York Jets, San Francisco
Here is the week-by-week schedule (updated upon release):
To round out Carolina’s 16-game schedule, the Panthers will play the Philadelphia Eagles at home and the San Francisco 49ers on the road. While San Francisco projects to be a bottom-feeder again this fall, Philadelphia could be a contender for a Wild Card berth in the NFC.
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Overall, should have a relatively navigable 2017 schedule. The Patriots on the road is a certain loss, but Carolina does seem to benefit from an easier road slate than most teams. Most of the Panthers’ tough games will be in Charlotte, so that will help the Panthers in their efforts to get back into the NFC Playoffs. That being said, it all really comes down to NFC South play. Atlanta and Tampa Bay should be playoff contenders and the Saints can put up points with anybody.