2018 Carolina Panthers Schedule: Full Listing of Dates, Times and TV Info

The Carolina Panthers have emerged as one of the NFL's best teams over the past handful of seasons. They have qualified for the playoffs four times in the last five years, a stretch highlighted by their 15-1 campaign in 2015 that ended with a loss to the Denver Broncos in Super Bowl 50.  

Carolina posted a 11-5 record in 2017 to finish second in the NFC South and earn a postseason trip as a wild card. Its latest bid to win the organization's first championship was a short one, however, as Cam Newton and Co. were eliminated by the New Orleans Saints in the opening round.

The Panthers are projected to land on the playoff fringe this season. They own the 16th-best Super Bowl odds (33-1) at this stage of the offseason, per OddsShark.

How they navigate the early stages of a schedule that features plenty of hurdles will go a long way in determining their fate. Let's check out the complete list of information following Thursday's release of the entire regular-season slate, per NFL.com, and then analyze the team's 2018 outlook.

Panthers' 2018 Schedule

Week 1: vs. Dallas Cowboys on Sept 9 at 4:25 p.m. ET on FOX

Week 2: at Atlanta Falcons on Sept. 16 at 1:00 p.m. ET on FOX

Week 3: vs. Cincinnati Bengals on Sept. 23 at 1:00 p.m. ET on CBS

Week 4: BYE

Week 5: vs. New York Giants on Oct. 7 at 1:00 p.m. ET on FOX

Week 6: at Washington Redskins on Oct. 14 at 1:00 p.m. ET on FOX

Week 7: at Philadelphia Eagles on Oct. 21 at 1:00 p.m. ET on FOX

Week 8: vs. Baltimore Ravens on Oct. 28 at 1:00 p.m. ET on CBS

Week 9: vs. Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Nov. 4 at 1:00 p.m. ET on FOX

Week 10: at Pittsburgh Steelers on Nov. 8 at 8:20 p.m. ET on FOX/NFL Network

Week 11: at Detroit Lions on Nov. 18 at 1:00 p.m. ET on FOX

Week 12: vs. Seattle Seahawks on Nov. 25 at 1:00 p.m. ET on FOX

Week 13: at Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Dec. 2 at 1:00 p.m. ET on FOX

Week 14: at Cleveland Browns on Dec. 9 at 1:00 p.m. ET on FOX

Week 15: vs. New Orleans Saints on Dec. 17 at 8:15 p.m. ET on ESPN

Week 16: vs. Atlanta Falcons on Dec. 23 at 1:00 p.m. ET on FOX

Week 17: at New Orleans Saints on Dec. 30 at 1:00 p.m. ET on FOX

Analysis

As a whole, the Panthers roster hasn't undergone massive changes during the offseason, but some veteran contributors are gone. Running back Jonathan Stewart, defensive end Charles Johnson and safety Kurt Coleman headlined the departures.

Carolina did bolster its offense by trading for wide receiver Torrey Smith from the Philadelphia Eagles and signing fellow wideout Jarius Wright. Paired with top outside target Devin Funchess and tight end Greg Olsen, it's a high-upside pass-catching group.

If the Panthers can find a power-based running back in the draft to pair with the versatile Christian McCaffrey, the unit should improve on its No. 19 ranking last season.

Meanwhile, the defense remains stout, led by the linebacker trio of Luke Kuechly, Thomas Davis and Shaq Thompson. The seemingly ageless Julius Peppers also returns after racking up 11 sacks last season for a unit that gave up 317.1 yards per game in 2017, the seventh-best mark in the league.

So the pieces are in place for the Panthers to provide tremendous value based on the aforementioned 33-1 championship odds.

Pivotal Matchups

As always, the competitiveness of the NFC South could be an issue for the Panthers, particularly if they get off to a sluggish start. None of the Saints, Atlanta Falcons or Tampa Bay Buccaneers are a pushover, which will make those six division games crucial.

Taking care of business at home will be the most important factor beyond that.

The Bank of America Stadium slate is littered with teams that have contended in recent years, but none of the non-division home games are against projected 2018 juggernauts. So the door is open for Carolina to go 7-1 or 6-2, taking some pressure off the road contests.

Anything less and the Panthers may have to steal a road game against the likes of the reigning champion Philadelphia Eagles or the AFC powerhouse Pittsburgh Steelers to make the playoffs.