Panthers Tracks: What did we learn about the schedule? Carolina isn’t prime-time ready
The NFL schedule is officially out and everyone is making their predictions. Matt Rhule’s first season is going to feature two matchups against Tom Brady, a cold game in Green Bay and 13 games scheduled for 1 p.m.
It’s not going to be an easy first year for Carolina’s new coach, especially with the unknowns surrounding the start of on-field offseason programs and training camp. A late bye week for the Panthers (Week 13) won’t help the season get any easier.
Check out the full 2020 schedule here.
Here’s a breakdown of some of the most noteworthy takeaways from the 2020 schedule:
Bye week. Week 13 is a problem. It’s only the second time the Panthers have had a bye week so late in the season (Week 14, 2001 season). They went 1-15 that year. Carolina will have the assistance of the extra time after their Thursday Night Football game vs. the Falcons in Week 8, but for a young team, a full bye week earlier would have been useful.
Home sweet home. The Panthers are opening at home for the third straight season, going 1-1 in those games. This year they’ll open against the Raiders in their first game as the Las Vegas Raiders.
Weeks 10 and 11, the Panthers will be at Bank of America Stadium for back-to-back home games. Why is that notable? It’s the only time they have consecutive games in Charlotte all season.
Prime time? For a second consecutive year, the Panthers were only selected for a Thursday Night Football game (hosting the Falcons in Week 8), and no Sunday or Monday night games. There is a potential for the Week 15 game in Green Bay to be on Saturday, which would make it a nationally televised broadcast, but the Panthers were not selected for the most visible audience. They only have one other game at 4 p.m. or later (Week 3 at Chargers).
This isn’t much of a surprise. The Panthers are in the middle of restructuring, and outside of Christian McCaffrey, the team’s most high-profile players have moved on. Expect 1 p.m. kickoffs to be the norm for a while.
Can’t-miss game. This feels obvious, but the matchup against Washington in Week 16 is going to be must-see TV. Even though it’s late in the NFL calendar, Ron Rivera’s first game against his former team will get a significant amount of attention and deservedly so. By that point, Kyle Allen could be starting at quarterback in D.C. and both he and Thomas Davis could have the opportunity to play against their former team.
The Panthers are playing Tom Brady twice a year thanks to his move to Tampa, and they’ll have difficult games against the Chiefs, Packers, Vikings and Saints (twice), but the game at FedEx Field will be one that is circled all season long.
Saving the best for last? Teddy Bridgewater’s return to Minnesota won’t come until Week 12. Carolina doesn’t travel to Kansas City to face the defending champions until Week 9, their second matchup with Tampa Bay is in Week 10 and once again, a game against the Saints has been saved until the end of the season. The Panthers will host them in Week 17 (although it likely won’t matter for New Orleans).
Having tough opponents in the second half of the season can be beneficial for the Panthers, giving rookies an opportunity to get acclimated to the NFL ahead of time.
Way-too-early prediction — 4-12. This is a tough schedule for the Panthers — they’re playing at least five teams that are destined for the playoffs. Wins could come in a few places. Week 1 against the Raiders seems like an opportunity at home. Against the Lions at home in Week 11 also appears to be a game the Panthers could win. The other two wins could come late in the season against the Broncos in Week 14 and that special game at Washington.
— Alaina Getzenberg
Panthers 2020 schedule
Preseason
- Week 1 — Aug. 13-17: vs. Jacksonville Jaguars
- Week 2 — Aug. 20-24: at New England Patriots
- Week 3 — Aug. 30: at Baltimore Ravens, 8 p.m., NBC
- Week 4 — Sept. 3: vs. Pittsburgh Steelers
Regular season
- Week 1 — Sept. 13: vs. Las Vegas Raiders, 1 p.m., CBS
- Week 2 — Sept. 20: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 1 p.m. FOX
- Week 3 — Sept. 27: at L.A. Chargers, 4:05 p.m., CBS
- Week 4 — Oct. 4: vs. Arizona Cardinals, 1 p.m., TBD
- Week 5 — Oct. 11: at Atlanta Falcons, 1 p.m., FOX
- Week 6 — Oct. 18: vs. Chicago Bears, 1 p.m., FOX
- Week 7 — Oct. 25: at New Orleans Saints, 1 p.m., FOX
- Week 8 — Oct. 29: vs. Atlanta Falcons (Thursday Night Football), 8:20 p.m., FOX/NFL Network
- Week 9 — Nov. 8: at Kansas City Chiefs, 1 p.m., FOX
- Week 10 — Nov. 15: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 1 p.m., FOX
- Week 11 — Nov. 22: vs. Detroit Lions, 1 p.m., FOX
- Week 12 — Nov. 29: at Minnesota Vikings, 1 p.m., FOX
- Week 13 — Dec. 6: Bye
- Week 14 — Dec. 13: vs. Denver Broncos, 1 p.m., CBS
- Week 15 — Dec. 19 or 20: at Green Bay Packers, TBD
- Week 16 — Dec. 27: at Washington, 1 p.m., CBS
- Week 17 — Jan. 3: vs. New Orleans Saints, 1 p.m., FOX
Free Panthers tickets
The Panthers’ 2020 schedule is out, and we want to send someone from the coronavirus front lines to a game at Bank of America Stadium (assuming, of course, that games are indeed played this fall). Tell us about a person you think deserves a pair of free tickets to see the Panthers by following this link and using our simple nomination form.
Required reading
+ From retired to the Panthers: How a call from Matt Rhule changed Sam Tecklenburg’s future
+ Pipe and Foundry offered $35 million to move as Tepper eyes uptown stadium sites
+ From Ron Rivera to the Super Bowl champs: Breaking down the Panthers’ 2020 opponents
This story was originally published May 8, 2020 at 4:00 AM.
