It was around this time two years ago when tickets to see the Carolina Panthers face the Atlanta Falcons at home were available on Ticketmaster for as low as $0.45, albeit minus the usual additional fees that would eventually rise to just shy of $20.
Tickets could also be bought for around $3 shortly before the game as the Panthers entered 1-12 amid another ugly year of irrelevance as part of the franchise's cliff-fall since their last playoff appearance in 2017.
It was miserably wet and windy with Christmas just a week away, what had been billed as a 70,000 crowd instead adopting the appearance of an admirably-loyal 10,000; the Panthers had long-been a non-story, Chris Tabor serving as interim head coach following the firing of Frank Reich and a rookie Bryce Young living every No 1 pick quarterback's worst NFL nightmare while teetering on the edge of an early and messy confidence-sapped divorce.
For those wondering, the Panthers won 9-7 thanks to three Eddie Pineiro field goals, ruining Atlanta's playoff hopes in the process.
This Christmas, things are different.
The Panthers sit top of the NFC South with their division title and playoff fate in their own hands as one of the surprise stories of the 2025 campaign. Carolina (8-7) can win the division this weekend by beating the No 1-seeded Seattle Seahawks - live on Your Site NFL - and the Miami Dolphins beating Tampa Bay (7-8), while a Panthers defeat and Bucs win would see it head to the final day of the regular-season, when the Panthers and Buccaneers meet again.
Three-dollar tickets in December have evolved into scoreboard-watching.
The Panthers nudged ahead in the race last Sunday by holding off Baker Mayfield and the Buccaneers in a 23-20 victory, sealing it with a late interception of the quarterback whose career head coach Dave Canales helped resurrect in Florida. These days, Canales is extracting the playmaking best of a written-off Young, who is finally making No 1-pick-calibre throws in year three in the NFL.
Young had looked frail, hesitant and submissive to his modest and doubted stature during his rookie season, guilty of misreads, coughing up turnovers and failing to instil the new-chapter hope yearned with a No 1 pick play-caller. Had they made a mistake favouring Young over the soaring CJ Stroud? The narrative was beginning to write itself as Stroud propelled Houston's rebuild ahead of schedule on his way towards winning Offensive Rookie of the Year.
This is a different Young, a purring Young, albeit still within an understaffed offense and wrinkles to be ironed.
The former Alabama man just navigated the 12th game-winning drive of his NFL career in Sunday's win over Tampa Bay, marking the most by any quarterback since 2023. It was his sixth game-winning drive this campaign as he finished 21 of 32 for 191 yards and two touchdowns with a 102.5 passer rating while exhibiting the full range of his arsenal.
"I feel like if it's close in the fourth quarter, especially with 9, if it's close with him, he's going to go win it. We're just a team built on resiliency, and we're going to keep pushing," said Panthers corner Jaycee Horn.
He showcased why he is ranked among the league's most dangerous downfield throwers over the last six weeks with a beautifully-weighted touchdown dunk to Tetairoa McMillan, he demonstrated off-schedule and out-of-structure magic on his slide, dip, climb and strike scoring pass to Ja'Tavion Sanders and floated a deep-shot dime to Jalen Coker for 34 yards on third down to help tee up Ryan Fitzgerald's game-winning field goal in the fourth quarter. Young found the answers when he needed to, as much testament to his continued growth.
Young's NFL career had been projected for infamous No 1-to-done decline before it ever really began, particularly when he was benched for Andy Dalton in the first month of the 2024 season. The Panthers' record speaks to performance fluctuation and inconsistency to his command, but he has played his way into a chance to end Carolina's seven-year playoff drought.
Canales, Young and co. have become one of the NFL's great puzzle teams in 2025, with the ability to be blown out by the Buffalo Bills, lose twice to the New Orleans Saints as well as incite Matthew Stafford's most chaotic, mistake-stricken games of the season in a win over the Super Bowl-contending Los Angeles Rams. Which version shows up over the final two weeks?
Buccaneers QB Baker Mayfield on battling Carolina for the NFC South: "Our back is against the wall. Pretty comfortable there. We would love to be - and I would love for us to be - in a different spot than we're in right now, don't get me wrong. We've been here before, and you can always rely on those experiences and take what you've learned and go from there, but I trust this group."
Raiders' Maxx Crosby on playing for No 1 Draft pick against the Giants, with both teams 2-13 : "Yeah, I don't give a s*** about the pick, to be honest. I don't play for that. That's not my job. My job is to be the best defensive end in the world. That's what I focus on every day. Being a great leader, being an influence. Being that guy on a consistent basis for my team."
Bears HC Ben Johnson on QB Caleb Williams: "Every single day, we're spending one-on-one time, quality time together, to where we can be very transparent with each other. And I think what I've grown to love about him - and I hope he would echo the same thing - I think we're mentally very similar."
Steelers QB Aaron Rodgers following DK Metcalf's altercation with fan: "I think there's a mindset that you pay for a ticket, you say whatever the hell you want. I think there should be some code of conduct. Obviously, that was intentional, and I think there was some celebration afterwards, on (the fan's) part. Obviously, [I] don't condone what DK did, but I understand, you know, there's been a lot of crazy comments sent my way over the years and, you know, the truth is that that would never happen face-to-face."
Chiefs TE Travis Kelce on the possibility of retirement: "Honestly, I've just been focused on trying to win football games, man. I'll let that be a decision I make with my family, friends, the Chiefs organisation when the time comes."
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How Steelers can clinch AFC North title:
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How Seahawks can clinch NFC West title and NFC No 1 seed, first-round bye and home-field advantage:
How Seahawks can clinch NFC West division title:
How Panthers can clinch NFC South title:
How Bears can clinch NFC North title:
Your Site statistician - and Buffalo Bills fan - Benedict Bermange breaks down some of the key stats heading into Sunday's matchups...
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