Brutal fumble prevents Panthers from getting huge divisional win

The Panthers had a win nearly in their grasp but fumbled, metaphorically, their chances.

Dec 1, 2024; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers wide receiver Adam Thielen (19) attempts to catch the ball in the end zone in the second quarter at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images / Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

The Carolina Panthers lost another heartbreaker on Sunday. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers walked them off, at home, in overtime. It was a game the Panthers seemed to have in hand for a moment before it was literally and figuratively ripped away from them. Bryce Young starred once again, but it wasn't quite enough.

Mistakes cost Panthers in loss

With a third down at midfield in overtime, Bryce Young lofted a pass against the blitz that Adam Thielen caught with one hand. It set them up in Eddy Pineiro's range, and Dave Canales wanted to use the run game to get closer and whittle it down to kick what would've been a winning field goal.

Unfortunately, the usually sure-handed Chuba Hubbard, who along with Jonathon Brooks struggled to really get going today, had the ball ripped out of his hands. It bounced away before the Buccaneers narrowly recovered it in front of two Panthers. The Bucs then ran almost down the entire field to set up a chip shot field goal for the win.

The Panthers left way too many points on the board today. They had a goal-to-go situation that yielded a field goal. They missed two field goals in the first half. They had a touchdown incorrectly called an incomplete pass, which didn't help that, either. That helped the Buccaneers, who did not play well, get to overtime.

Overall, the defense had one of its best games of the year. They again struggled to contain the ground game, especially late in the game. They forced two interceptions against Baker Mayfield and held the Bucs to 23 points in regulation and had a few big plays throughout the game. They forced a missed field goal to open overtime, too.

Wins are good, because that's the objective of the game. Losses, at least for a team in the situation the Panthers are in, aren't the end of the world, though. That puts the Panthers in a relatively good spot for a useful outcome every week, and they may have had one even with the gut-wrenching loss.

A win would've put them two games back of first place in the division, but the loss pushes them further into the basement. It may have ended any misguided thoughts of the postseason this year.

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