The Carolina Panthers most recently played with a winning record on Oct. 17, 2021. The 3-2 Panthers lost to the Minnesota Vikings 34-28 in overtime and went on to a 5-12 mark in 2021.
Carolina has a 4-3 record for its Sunday game against the Buffalo Bills, and a win would give the Panthers their first four-game winning streak since 2020.
“I want to be relevant,” Carolina defensive end Derrick Brown said. “I want to be able to see this team do what we’re supposed to do and be able to go to the playoffs. I mean that’s the goal every single time I step on the field, so, I mean, like I said, it’s big because it’s the next one.”
But even with all that going into the game from the Panthers’ side, Brown said the pressure is on Buffalo because losing to Carolina still carries a stigma to go with defeat.
“Obviously, like, we want to win,” Brown said. “But I think everybody else doubts us so much, I think, like, it’s more stress for other people coming in here to play us, which I mean it sounds crazy. But, you know, it’s one of those things where, like, I think for so long the dynamic has been, like, an easy win to play against us. So then, like, when we go out and win, people are genuinely shocked, which I mean that’s frustrating as hell. But at the same time, too, make people feel that way. That’s the goal for us every week.”
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In the Panthers’ 13-6 victory over the New York Jets on Sunday, Brown tied for the team lead with seven tackles, recorded two sacks, registered three quarterback hits and broke up three passes as Carolina limited the Jets to 220 yards and two field goals.
The former Auburn All-American became the seventh player in NFL history to have seven tackles, two sacks and three passes defended in the same game since all three of those stats have been recorded (starting in 1999). The other players have been the Kansas City Chiefs outside linebacker Justin Houston and Cincinnati Bengals linebacker Vincent Rey in 2013, Houston Texans defensive end J.J. Watt and New York Jets linebacker Davis Harris in 2014, Pittsburgh Steelers outside linebacker T.J. Watt in 2021 and Las Vegas Raiders defensive end Maxx Crosby in 2022.
A Pro Bowl selection in 2023, Brown sustained a knee injury in the first game of the 2024 season and missed the rest of the year. He’s played 71 percent of Carolina’s defensive snaps in his comeback campaign.
“I think I had a really good game,” Brown said. “But, I mean, I think it was just more so me being where I was supposed to be at and just doing my job, to be honest. …
“My goal is to go out there and be dominant every week, and I think that’s from the jump of when we kick off to the end of the game.”
A’Shawn Robinson joined Carolina last season, so he and Brown had played only one game together before 2025. This season, the former Alabama All-American has started every game with Brown in the Panthers’ defensive line.
“I mean, AR’s he’s old,” Brown said of Robinson, who’s in his 10th NFL season. “So him having his experience to bring to the table definitely weighs heavy on me. I think it’s one of those things where you just know the guy that you’re playing against, the familiarity with him, and that allows for me to be able to do things and for him to play off of it.”
The Bills and Panthers kick off at noon CDT Sunday at Bank of America Stadium.
Buffalo is coming out of its bye week. The Bills have a 4-2 record but have lost their past two games.
Buffalo has averaged 27.8 points and 378.3 yards per game, ranking fourth in the NFL in both categories.
“We know what the explosive capabilities are,” Brown said, “and we got to go out there and limit them. This is the NFL, they’ll make good plays. But our job is to limit the amount of plays that they make, so, I mean, that’s the goal going into every week.”
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