The Panthers snatched another defeat from victory’s jaws Sunday, blowing a 21-10 lead in the final six minutes and losing, 27-21, in overtime to Tampa Bay before a disconsolate home crowd. Here's my column, focusing on the uncanny ability of the Panthers to lose close games.
In a game with wild swings, Tampa Bay scored the game’s first 10 points, Carolina scored the next 21 and then the Bucs scored the final 17 – including a 15-yard pass from Josh Freeman to Dallas Clark on the first possession of overtime. Clark beat Carolina linebacker James Anderson on the play. Because the Bucs scored a TD, Carolina didn’t get a chance to possess the ball in OT, so the Panther defense ended up allowing 80-yard touchdown drives on the game’s final two possessions. In the postgame, quarterback Cam Newton called the Panthers' inability to finish games out "the story of our lives." Tight end Greg Olsen said that of all the close losses this year that this one "takes the cake." Defensive end Charles Johnson tweeted out that he was "embarrassed" by the loss. "Some people study and work harder than others and they get expose [sic]" read part of Johnson's tweet.
Carolina was seemingly in control late, when Cam Newton’s 29-yard pass to Brandon LaFell pushed the Panthers to a 21-10 lead with six minutes to go. The Bucs got a field goal to slice the lead to 21-13 and then – after the Panthers bled the clock awhile – Tampa Bay started its final drive with 62 seconds to go, zero timeouts and 80 yards to go.
But the Bucs went all the way down the field – helped by a 15-yard penalty on linebacker Thomas Davis for hitting a defenseless receiver in the head. Vincent Jackson burned the Panthers badly late, scoring on both a 24-yard touchdown and then on the ensuing two-point conversion.
The Panthers dropped to 2-8 on the season after leading for most of the game, and you have to think a loss like this will come back to haunt a lot of people at Bank of America Stadium at season’s end. Tampa Bay improved to 6-4.
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9 years ago
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33 comments:
If Jerry does no start firing people tomorrow......Forget my Panther pride!......
What does anyone expect? About halfway through the 4th, the Chiefs' loss was final and on the scoreboard.
Carolina needed to keep the pace.
The season has ended. Let's go interim coach right now, and make a long-term move in two months. This is ridiculous.
That's not fair.... Tampa Bay has a coach.
Fire Ron. Hire Chip Kelly.
4th and 1, midfield, 1 yard will essentially win the game. Instead of using one of 3 multimillionaires capable of getting the yard, you punt. Seconds later, the lead is gone.
Haven't we heard this story before? Atlanta anyone?
Fire. Coach. Rivera.
He didn't learn from the first time, and how the joke is on him.
Good riddance.
goodbye Rivera! This has been a disaster of a season. This team has zero discipline and The head coach is soft. Please Mr. Richardson hire coach Cowher! Please
Fire everyone and sell the team. I hear there is a buyer in LA.
hard to watch a team that seems to work harder to lose a game then to win. J rich needs to get real if wants help to renovate his stadium.
Who will be the new coach when Rivera is fired this week. He's awful and the Panthers are losers
When will Rivera be canned ? I'd say next week. He's Awful and the team is worse.
I think Rivera should be fired tomorrow. That's one too many collapses in a single season.
Did you expect anything different????
This loss should haunt a lot of people at the stadium right now. The problem that Jerry faces is which idiot to name interim head coach. It has become more and more apparent that any resemblance of an NFL franchise on Mint Street is purely coincidental. It is amazing to me that an owner can tell you for years how he wants to model his franchise after the Steelers yet he watches the thing go further and further down the toilet each and every year.
On the good side, CHEAP TICKETS FOR ALL!!!
Give Chud his shot. Fire Rivera and blow it up in the offseason. Gamble, Beason and Johnson restructure their contracts or get cut!!!
Jerry Richardson: I am sure you are a decent person but as an owner you SUCK and the Panthers are PATHETIC!!!! How can you possible proclaim 100+ sellouts when you hold PSL Owners hostage. The Panthers are the laughing stock of the NFL and you do NOTHING about it!! I am sick and tired of wasting my Sundays on this miserable team...today's Tampa Bay loss was 2nd only to the Arizona playoff loss (worse than the Super Bowl loss). You better make moves and make them fast or people will forego their PSL investment (by thew way, it is not YOUR stadium that you opened up to the DNC, it OURS!!!! Got that?!?!?) and leave you as Jacksonville North. Absolutely embarrassing!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Fix the team, hire the right people, and WIN!!!!!!!!!! The people of North and South Carolina have funded your investment for FAR too long...we now DEMAND a return. We deserve BETTER! Put a winning product on the field!
Haunt whom, and why? What's one more blown game? Could you please clarify that statement.
No surprise at all, unfortunately. No lead is safe with these clowns. Absolutely no heart and NO CLUE how to make it better!
I heard cowher was seen in Charlotte.....
It's ok, the empty seats didn't mind.
Can anyone get me a seat directly behinf the Panther's bench - I've got a big voice and will boo them from the the time the enter the field until they leave in defeat.
Boy do they S**K !
Even with injuries, the Panthers have talent "on" the field. Now if they could find some talent "on the sideline".
Don't worry - we are winning the Super Bowl this year right? That was all the pre-season hype. Time to trade everyone and get draft picks and a coach that can teach and motivate. Hurney destroyed the team and JR seemed to be the minde behind it. Uhhhh no where near the organization that the Steelers are.
These guys definetly don't know how to finish games, it is pathetic, they should have gone for the one yard, because when they seem to have a minute left with a lead,we all know what happens. We definetly need Gamble. Draft another corner with the third pick, who knows,maybe even the first. Draft some offensive lineman,several. Cut that Nakamura guy,he's awful. Sign Dwayne Bowe,drop Armanti, and Murphy,(who I do like). Need to run the football more obviously,why they're not,I don't know.
Glad to be rid of Hurney, Rivera is the next logical step, he is absolutely lost as a head coach. The passion of a turnip, the mental capacity of a lime.
The stadium is empty now
Are you tired of watching Ron Rivera coach the Panthers into the ground? Sign the petition to have him fired: http://www.change.org/petitions/to-the-carolina-panthers-please-fire-head-coach-ron-rivera#
If Rivera is around for the next game, then Rob Chudzinski must be let go. His play calling is horrible.
i cannot see why this team cannot hire a decent kicker, i can name veteran kickers who are better
nate kaeding
jeff reed
josh brown
kris brown
neil rackers
our own john kasay
More people commented on this article than went to the game.
Can we stop blaming the running back's please? There is nowhere for them to run. The O-Line is horrible. Or the O-Line coaching and playbook are horrible. Or both.
Forget the prevent defense - it isn't working!
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