Wk 16 · 2026
Carolina Panthers at Pittsburgh Steelers — Sun, Dec 27
Sun, Dec 27 ·
Acrisure Stadium, Pittsburgh, PA
Weather
No forecast yet. This one is 71 days away and has no kickoff time yet. Forecasts reach about 16 days ahead, so this fills in nearer the game. A seasonal average printed here would look exactly like a forecast, which is why there is not one.
NFC South · 2-2
at
TBDET
PIT -3.5 · total 41.5 DraftKings
Ratings differential PIT by 1.9
AFC North · 3-2
What is at stake
An interconference game, NFC against AFC. It counts in both overall records — which is what seeding is settled on first — and in neither team’s division or conference record. Flex Game: 12/26 or 12/27.
What the ratings imply
The differential above is arithmetic on two published numbers:
The Gridiron King’s 2026 final efficiency ratings, plus
1.7 points of home field.
It is not a projection, a value, an edge or a lean, and nothing on this site
compares it with the betting line to tell you one is better. Until 2026
games are played it is last season’s measurement of two rosters that have
been through a draft and a free-agency window since.
Efficiency · 2026 ratings
Efficiency margin
Offense
Defense
Points / game
Points allowed / game
Opponent-adjusted ratings from The Gridiron King’s 2026 final numbers. Bars share a scale within each row, so the two lengths are comparable; the brighter side is the better of the two, and a longer bar is the better number — including the rows where a lower figure is the good one. Pace is the exception: it is how fast a team plays, not how well, so neither side is lit and a longer bar there means only more plays.
Team stats
The box-score store these rows are built from has not been produced for this league yet, so no preview carries points and yards for and against. The form, trend and series blocks below are built from this site’s own files and are not affected.
Panthers form
W 32-26vs DETL 18-21at CLEW 34-3at ATLL 37-59vs CHI
2026 season
Steelers form
W 34-22vs INDL 24-27at CLEW 30-27vs CINL 3-20at NEW 20-13vs ATL
2026 season
Panthers this season
Straight up2-2 · 50% (4 games)
Against the spread2-2 · 50% (4 games)
Over / under2-2 · 50% (4 games)
Steelers this season
Straight up3-2 · 60% (5 games)
Against the spread3-2 · 60% (5 games)
Over / under3-2 · 60% (5 games)
Lines are captured from ESPN's board before kickoff and locked at kickoff, so an in-play price cannot overwrite the number a game is graded against.
Common opponents · 8
| Opponent | Panthers | Steelers |
|---|---|---|
| Falcons NFC | at W 34-3 preview | vs W 20-13 preview |
| Browns AFC | at L 18-21 preview | at L 24-27 preview |
| Eagles NFC | at Wk 6 · scheduled preview | at Wk 11 · scheduled preview |
| Buccaneers NFC | vs Wk 7 · scheduled preview | at Wk 6 · scheduled preview |
| Broncos AFC | vs Wk 9 · scheduled preview | vs Wk 12 · scheduled preview |
| Saints NFC | at Wk 10 · scheduled preview | N Wk 7 · scheduled preview |
| Ravens AFC | vs Wk 11 · scheduled preview | vs Wk 15 · scheduled preview |
| Bengals AFC | vs Wk 15 · scheduled preview | vs W 30-27 preview |
Open these two in the
comparison tool for every shared and unshared opponent.
Series history · 2006–2026
Since 2006, Steelers leads 5–0 · Steelers has won the last 5
5 meetings
in 2006–2026 · average margin
23.0 points toward Steelers
| Yr | Date | Result | Site | Won |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2022 | 2022-12-18 | Steelers 24 — 16 Panthers | at CAR | Steelers |
| 2018 | 2018-11-08 | Panthers 21 — 52 Steelers | at PIT | Steelers |
| 2014 | 2014-09-21 | Steelers 37 — 19 Panthers | at CAR | Steelers |
| 2010 | 2010-12-23 | Panthers 3 — 27 Steelers | at PIT | Steelers |
| 2006 | 2006-12-17 | Steelers 37 — 3 Panthers | at CAR | Steelers |
Panthers leaders 2026 regular season
| Passing | Bryce Young QB #9 | 101/162, 1268 YDS, 9 TD, 2 INT |
| Kenny Pickett QB #12 | 0/1, 0 YDS | |
| Rushing | Chuba Hubbard RB #30 | 61 CAR, 306 YDS, 3 TD |
| AJ Dillon RB #28 | 17 CAR, 43 YDS | |
| Jonathon Brooks RB #25 | 9 CAR, 30 YDS | |
| Receiving | Tetairoa McMillan WR #4 | 26 REC, 385 YDS, 2 TD |
| Jalen Coker WR #18 | 18 REC, 222 YDS, 2 TD | |
| Darren Waller TE #88 | 13 REC, 148 YDS, 2 TD | |
| Brycen Tremayne WR #87 | 6 REC, 115 YDS |
Defense
| Tackles | Devin Lloyd LB #55 | 31 |
| Bobby Okereke LB #58 | 26 | |
| Akayleb Evans CB #29 | 20 | |
| Sacks | Princely Umanmielen LB #3 | 3 |
| Jaelan Phillips LB #5 | 2 | |
| Trevis Gipson LB #52 | 1 | |
| Interceptions | Devin Lloyd LB #55 | 2 |
| Bobby Okereke LB #58 | 1 |
Steelers leaders 2026 regular season
| Passing | Aaron Rodgers QB #8 | 88/153, 999 YDS, 7 TD, 4 INT |
| Cameron Johnston P #19 | 0/1, 0 YDS | |
| Rushing | Jaylen Warren RB #30 | 55 CAR, 309 YDS |
| Rico Dowdle RB #13 | 15 CAR, 37 YDS | |
| Travis Homer RB #21 | 5 CAR, 15 YDS | |
| Receiving | DK Metcalf WR #4 | 16 REC, 213 YDS, 1 TD |
| Roman Wilson WR #14 | 14 REC, 188 YDS, 2 TD | |
| Jaylen Warren RB #30 | 13 REC, 143 YDS | |
| Pat Freiermuth TE #88 | 14 REC, 125 YDS, 2 TD |
Defense
| Tackles | Payton Wilson LB #41 | 36 |
| Patrick Queen LB #6 | 28 | |
| Jaquan Brisker S #3 | 27 | |
| Sacks | T.J. Watt LB #90 | 4.5 |
| Alex Highsmith LB #56 | 3 | |
| Derrick Harmon DT #99 | 1.5 | |
| Interceptions | T.J. Watt LB #90 | 1 |
| Patrick Queen LB #6 | 1 | |
| Jaquan Brisker S #3 | 1 |
These are regular-season totals for
the season named on each card — the players who led that team that year,
taken from ESPN's team leaders. That list is keyed to the season, not to today's
roster, so a leader who has since signed elsewhere, been traded or retired still
appears against the year he earned it; the
roster
pages and the depth chart on each team page are where the current squad is.
A team switches to this season's numbers once it has played a game.