Latest win earns Panthers credibility

If they end up playing in January, the Carolina Panthers might look back at Sunday’s 10- 9 road win against the San Francisco 49ers as the moment they came of age.

It’s one thing to knock around the Minnesota Vikings, St. Louis Rams, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Atlanta Falcons — who ended Sunday a combined 8- 28. It’s another to make it five consecutive wins by toppling the defending NFC champions, in their building, at their own game.

Panthers quarterback Cam Newton wasn’t even at his best against the 49ers, throwing an interception and generating 186 combined passing and rushing yards. The offense’s only gain of 20 yards or more was DeAngelo Williams’ 27- yard touchdown run in the second quarter.

But time and again, the Panthers defense tilted the field, allowing one drive — the 49ers’ first — to net more than 17 yards. The Panthers made 11 stops in 13 third- down chances, completely bottled up Colin Kaepernick and forced four punts and two turnovers after halftime.

This isn’t a young team. The Panthers have 13 players 30 and older, including key contributors such as Williams, wide receiver Steve Smith, linebacker Thomas Davis and cornerback Drayton Florence, whose interception in the final minute Sunday sealed the victory.

For a franchise that hasn’t sniffed the postseason in five years, though, this is growing up.

One reason to doubt the Pittsburgh Steelers would trade quarterback Ben Roethlisberger as part of a rebuilding operation this coming offseason: $ 13.59 million in unamortized bonus proration that would hit the Steelers’ already- tight salary cap.

Granted, Roethlisberger would count $ 18.895 million against the cap if he’s on the team, and dumping him sooner than later would clear cap space in 2015.

But it seems unlikely a Steelers organization that prides itself on patience and continuity would be eager to dump a player who helped bring it two Super Bowls, just as it seems unlikely Roethlisberger would make a hard push for a divorce from a franchise that stuck by him through multiple off- field issues.