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Carolina Panthers: The Five Best Rivalries 3.0

By John Woodcock

Dec 24, 2016; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton (1) looks to pass the ball during the first half against the Atlanta Falcons at Bank of America Stadium. The Falcons defeated the Panthers 33-16. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 24, 2016; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton (1) looks to pass the ball during the first half against the Atlanta Falcons at Bank of America Stadium. The Falcons defeated the Panthers 33-16. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports /
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Dec 27, 2015; Atlanta, GA, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton (1) carries the ball past Atlanta Falcons cornerback Robert Alford (23) in the third quarter at the Georgia Dome. Mandatory Credit: Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports /

The Carolina Panthers have twenty years of games but some of those games have meant more because of the teams the Panthers played.

The Carolina Panthers just witnessed the defeat of the Falcons in the Super Bowl. The Panthers can now claim to play in a division where every team has been to the Super Bowl at least once since 2002. That’s fairly high quality stuff even if the records have looked like trash sometimes.

Just look at 2016 where the Panthers dropped from their three hold on the division to fourth place. That used to be a normal thing in the NFC South, and the Panthers will try to flip flop it again next year. They will see the defending champion Patriots and the NFC North squads next year.

So we are to take a look back at some of the greatest rivalries the Panthers have had in their history. The strength of the rivalry will be judged by longevity, series intensity, and value to the Panthers fan base.

Many fans may have personal rivalries that mean more to them, but this is looking at the ones that mean the most to the franchise. So I will say straight up that the Dallas Cowboys are not on this list.

Also missing are the Washington Redskins. The Redskins were and are a local favorite from the days when Charlotte was in the Washington TV market for games. The Redskins do not have a long history of playing the Panthers. The most meaningful thing that Washington did for the Panthers was cut Stephen Davis.

To be fair, this could change if the Josh Norman rivalry becomes a big thing. The Panthers are 1-0 against the Norman Redskins.

The final thing to note is that I did not include the Seattle Seahawks on this list despite giving the Jaguars and Steelers honorable mention position. Seattle could very jump into the list with the history of meaningful games they share with the Panthers. They finally fell of the Panthers schedule though, so we’ll have to see if another playoff classic can get them there.

Next: Honorable Mention

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