The Carolina Panthers' loss to the Los Angeles Rams was strangely similar to a game New Orleans Saints fans would like to forget.
The Panthers game featured four lead changing touchdowns in the fourth quarter. A back and forth game like that has only happened two other times in playoff history. One of those games was the Saints' loss to the San Francisco 49ers in the 2011 divisional round. That game featured a heartbreaking touchdown reception by Vernon Davis to seal the game. Once again, the NFC South representative fell to the NFC West representative via a last minute touchdown.
There is one massive difference between the Panthers loss and the Saints' loss. The Saints were one of the best teams in the league, and the Panthers had the reputation of the entire division on their shoulders Saturday. This isn't college where conference supremacy can have you rooting for a team you'd typically root against, but the Panthers upsetting the Rams would have given the division some respect.
Panthers close game still doesn't change the narrative around the NFC South
For the first time in nearly 20 years, the NFC South has failed to win a playoff game in consecutive seasons. In that time frame, the New Orleans Saints and Tampa Bay Buccaneers have won a Super Bowl, and the Carolina Panthers and Atlanta Falcons have made a Super Bowl appearance. This division used to be one of the sneaky best divisions in the league.
Times have definitely changed, and the division has been looked down upon for a few years. It hasn't produced a true contender since Drew Brees and Tom Brady were patrolling the division. Though the Panthers were competitive against the Rams, being competitive won't be enough to break the narrative.
NFC South continues their trend of bad luck in the playoffs. You'd have to go back to 2020 and 2021 to find the last time the division won a playoff game in back to back years.
It was actually an impressive showing by the Panthers. Despite winning the regular season matchup, there wasn't much belief they'd win this game. Carolina showed the ability to compete and actually seemed to look like they belonged.
The question becomes who is the next NFC South team to win a playoff game. The Saints are building steam and could be the answer to that question soon. It needs to be someone to change the narrative that the division is filled with mediocre teams beating each other up.