4 Panthers most responsible for Week 17 loss to Buccaneers

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The Carolina Panthers couldn’t keep up the momentum from last week’s win over the Detroit Lions as they fell to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 30-24, in Week 17 of the 2022 NFL season. That loss solidified the Panthers’ exit from the playoffs and handed the NFC South to the Buccaneers, who are now officially in the playoffs. It was a sad loss for the Panthers, who led at halftime only to see Tom Brady mount another second-half comeback to win. The Panthers are down to 6-10 and are tied for third place in the NFC South with the Atlanta Falcons. Here, discuss well the four Panthers most responsible for their Week 17 loss to the Buccaneers.

The Panthers started strong, leading 14-0 in the second quarter. However, they could only score 10 points in the second half while the Buccaneers scored 20 points in the fourth quarter alone.

DOnta Foreman, the Panthers’ top rusher, was not a factor, and quarterback Sam Darnold was inconsistent. The Panthers defense was also part of the problem in this game. Mike Evans scored three touchdowns while burning man coverage along the right sideline, which was a recurring theme for Panthers fans in the second half. Their defense just allowed Tampa Bay to score too many in the fourth quarter.

Next week, the Panthers take on the Saints in New Orleans and wrap up the regular season with a rivalry game against the Saints.

For now, let’s look at the four Panthers most responsible for their Week 17 loss to the Buccaneers.

4. WR Terrace Marshall Jr.

Terrace Marshall Jr. was really good the last two weeks. To illustrate, in Week 16 he caught two of three targets for 55 yards in a 37-23 win over the Lions. He was second to the Panthers in receiving, with rushes of 36 and 19. He was a great point guard for the Panthers.

Marshall in Week 17, however, was unable to make a significant impact in the most important game. He had just 15 yards on two receptions. It just wasn’t meaningful enough. He went from a great playmaker to a great failure.

3. Secondary Panthers

The Panthers were without their top two cornerbacks, Jaycee Horn and Donte Jackson. Panthers fans felt their absence, and certainly, their defense too.

The result? Tampa Bays’ offense put in a strong performance, especially due to the connection between quarterback Tom Brady and wide receiver Mike Evans. Brady threw for a season-high 432 yards and found Evans for three long touchdowns. CJ Henderson and Keith Taylor Jr., who started in place of Horn and Jackson, were responsible for covering Evans on those touchdowns.

It’s obvious that the Panthers defense is suffering without its first covering men on the ground. Carolina’s secondary in this game just made the Bucs’ previously underperforming offense finally look good. The Buccaneers scored 24 points for the first time since Week 4, largely on their passing offense.

The Panthers were shorthanded in the secondary, but couldn’t stop Mike Evans from playing long.

Big plays doomed their playoff hopes against the Bucs.https://t.co/IMXMWJnLT8

Darin Gantt (@daringantt) January 2, 2023

2. QB Sam Darnold

To be fair, Carolina QB Sam Darnold put in a solid performance. He completed 23 of 37 passes for a career-high 341 yards and three touchdowns. He distributed the ball well to Tommy Tremble, DJ Moore and Shi Smith. For three quarters, Darnold was playing some of the best football of his career as a Panther. Despite his first interception and fumble of the season, he looked confident and composed as he led the Panthers to a 21-10 lead with his three touchdown passes.

That said, as the defense struggled and allowed Tampa Bay to score 20 points in the quarter, Darnold got nervous and let the pressure get to him. To illustrate, his eventual failure to anticipate pressure from linebacker Anthony Nelson led to a crucial turnover. With less than three minutes left in the fourth quarter, he was stripped of the ball, which put the Buccaneers on the Panthers 6-yard line. Two plays later, Tom Brady scored a 1-yard touchdown, giving the Buccaneers a 9-point lead that Darnold and the offense were unable to overcome.

1. Panthers Rush Attack

The Panthers’ running game is generally a strength. However, it did not perform well in this game.

Keep in mind RBs DOnta Foreman and Chuba Hubbard both rushed for career highs of 165 yards and 125 yards in the previous game. In Week 17, they combined for just 47 yards on 16 attempts.

During the first half, Foreman and Hubbard totaled 27 rushing yards on nine carries. Despite leading for most of the game, the Panthers finished with just 74 rushing yards on 22 carries. Foreman had 13 carries for 35 yards and wasn’t targeted in the passing game. Meanwhile, Hubbard had three carries for 12 yards and caught all three of his targets for 53 yards. However, he also lost a fumble. This is Hubbard’s lowest carry total since week 6.

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