∅ Empty Set Football
Week 16 · 2026 regular season

Carolina Panthers at Pittsburgh Steelers

Sun, Dec 27, 10:00 AM PT

Win probability
ESF
(win probability)
CAR 37%
63% PIT

No betting line yet. Lines appear once books post them.

Unit matchups · entering week 16

Where each side has the edge

Each offense against the defense it faces, in CAP yards per attempt. Offense: higher is better. Defense (yards allowed): lower is better.

Pass: CAR offense vs PIT defense
−0.0116th
box score 7.7 · 9th
Even
−0.1516th
box score 6.6 allowed · 13th
Rush: CAR offense vs PIT defense
−0.0715th
box score 4.3 · 13th
Edge
PIT
−0.436th
box score 4.0 allowed · 17th
Pass: PIT offense vs CAR defense
−0.6123rd
box score 6.3 · 23rd
Edge
CAR
−0.3111th
box score 6.3 allowed · 7th
Rush: PIT offense vs CAR defense
+0.379th
box score 4.6 · 9th
Edge
PIT
+0.5128th
box score 5.1 allowed · 32nd

CAP yards per attempt: yards per play relative to what the down, distance, field position and the specific opponent would predict; offense positive is good, defense (allowed) negative is good. Box score: yards per attempt as an official box score counts them, entering week 16.

CAP yards per attempt · 2026

How each matchup got here

Each unit's CAP yards per attempt entering each week. Offense: higher is better. Defense (yards allowed): lower is better. 0 is what the situation and opponent would predict.

CAR pass offense vs PIT pass defense
CAR pass offense PIT pass defense (allowed)
−1.0 −0.8 −0.5 −0.3 0 +0.3 +0.5 0 = expected wk 1wk 2wk 3wk 4wk 5wk 6 CAR −0.11 PIT +0.17 −1.0 −0.8 −0.5 −0.3 0 +0.3 +0.5 0 = expected wk 1wk 2wk 3wk 4wk 5wk 6 CAR −0.11 PIT +0.17
PIT pass offense vs CAR pass defense
PIT pass offense CAR pass defense (allowed)
−1.0 −0.8 −0.5 −0.3 0 +0.3 +0.5 0 = expected wk 1wk 2wk 3wk 4wk 5wk 6 PIT −0.48 CAR −0.15 −1.0 −0.8 −0.5 −0.3 0 +0.3 +0.5 0 = expected wk 1wk 2wk 3wk 4wk 5wk 6 PIT −0.48 CAR −0.15
CAR rush offense vs PIT rush defense
CAR rush offense PIT rush defense (allowed)
−0.8 −0.5 −0.3 0 +0.3 0 = expected wk 1wk 2wk 3wk 4wk 5wk 6 CAR −0.11 PIT −0.35 −0.8 −0.5 −0.3 0 +0.3 0 = expected wk 1wk 2wk 3wk 4wk 5wk 6 CAR −0.11 PIT −0.35
PIT rush offense vs CAR rush defense
PIT rush offense CAR rush defense (allowed)
−0.3 0 +0.3 +0.5 +0.8 +1.0 0 = expected wk 1wk 2wk 3wk 4wk 5wk 6 PIT +0.43 CAR +0.59 −0.3 0 +0.3 +0.5 +0.8 +1.0 0 = expected wk 1wk 2wk 3wk 4wk 5wk 6 PIT +0.43 CAR +0.59
CAP win pct · 2026

How each team got here

CAP win pct entering each week. Higher is better; the league average is 0.50.

0.00 0.25 0.50 avg 0.75 1.00 wk 1wk 2wk 3wk 4wk 5wk 6 CAR 0.43 PIT 0.64 0.00 0.25 0.50 avg 0.75 1.00 wk 1wk 2wk 3wk 4wk 5wk 6 CAR 0.43 PIT 0.64
2026 results

Results so far

Each team's games before this one, with ESF's pre-game win probability for the team.

CAR Carolina Panthers

WeekOpponentResultESF win prob
pre-game, this team
1 vs CHI Lost 44%
2 @ ATL Won 42%
3 @ CLE Lost 54%
4 vs DET Won 45%
6 @ PHI Won 36%

PIT Pittsburgh Steelers

WeekOpponentResultESF win prob
pre-game, this team
1 vs ATL Won 62%
2 @ NE Lost 40%
3 vs CIN Won 56%
4 @ CLE Lost 59%
5 vs IND Won 63%
6 @ TB Won 64%
Week 16

Other games this week

Home team's chance to win before kickoff. Higher means the home team is more likely to win.

Dots: ESF model home win probability.

How to read this page

CAP win pct. A fading average of game scores with a half-life of 7 of the team's own games. A win scores 1 plus the opponent's win pct; a loss scores the opponent's win pct minus 1. Last season carries in. League average is 0.50; higher is better.

CAP yards per attempt. Yards per play relative to what the down, distance, field position and the specific opponent would predict. Offense: higher is better. Defense (yards allowed): lower is better.

Box score yards per attempt. Yards divided by attempts, counted the way an official box score counts them: rushing includes scrambles and kneel-downs; passing is gross yards per pass attempt, sacks excluded.

ESF win probability. A logistic regression on both teams' pre-game CAP win pct, with an intercept for home field.