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The 2018 Panthers are bad. We know this now. Sitting at 6-9 after a 6-2 start Jarius Wright Jersey , it is clear that they need work. And there are many issues that we’ve seen or worried about that finally reared their ugly head on Sunday.The Panthers need to invest in a backup quarterback. I enjoyed the toughness Taylor Heinicke showed following his elbow injury, and I think his story is great. However, winning in the NFL isn’t about being a great guy with a nice story. The Panthers were spoiled with Derek Anderson, and even Joe Webb as a do it all guy who also had starting quarterback experience. I applaud the efforts of Heinicke and Kyle Allen, but in 2019 they need a better answer, especially with Newton facing shoulder issues and an uncertain recovery time. That is my first priority on my Ron Rivera letter to Santa.My second priority is a left tackle. Matt Kalil could be that guy, but as a GM I wouldn’t bet on that. Tackles signed off the streets like Chris Clark or guys who were about to be cut like Marshall Newhouse are not viable 16 game options. The Panthers were in position to score way more than 10 points on Sunday but their glaring issue at LT cause Heinicke to get beat up worse than many games we’ve seen Cam Newton play. Taylor Moton might be that guy, but then you need a right tackle, especially since Daryl Williams is likely gonna get a fat paycheck as a free agent in 2019. They need to invest in the offensive line, and not just for Cam Newton’s sake.This team still has many pieces to be optimistic about. Ian Thomas looked great for his second straight week, Curtis Samuel caught seven passes, and Christian McCaffery cemented himself in NFL history in his SECOND season as the runningback with the most catches in a single year. James Bradberry looked like an elite corner, the linebackers are still amazing, and the defensive line had some bright spots.This team really isn’t that far off from being a contender, but issues like the offensive line, pass rush, and backup quarterback were problems we walked into 2018 seeing. Guess what? They still are. Strategic investment and finding a solution for two of those three problems sees the Panthers being more than competitive. Thankfully David Tepper knows how to invest. He just needs to evaluate the coaching and personnel around him. This team is better than 6-9, and they can be WAY better if you address these issues. It isn’t that hard, but they cannot continue to go without some attention. This is the NFL, and windows close quickly. Plays to Love, Plays to Hate (aka “P2L, P2H”) looks at the most significant plays in swinging momentum and impacting the eventual outcome of the game. There is always plenty to hate about NFL officiating https://www.carolinapanthersfanshop.com/Da_Norris-Searcy-Jersey , so we will only focus on the plays on the field, not the refs.Three plays to love1st Quarter 5:02 – Panthers 0, Bucs 10. Panthers ball 2nd-and-2 at CAR 39The Situation: Carolina looked terrible to start the game and quickly fell behind 10-0 in the first quarter. The Panthers offense needed something big to give the team some life. The Play: Christian McCaffrey exploded through a gaping hole on the left side and sprinted 53 yards to the Tampa Bay eight yard line. Credit goes to Greg Olsen and Chris Clark for outstanding blocks to clear the way. CMC scored on the next play to trim the Bucs lead to 10-7. 2nd Quarter 10:03 – Panthers 7, Bucs 10. Buccaneers ball 2nd-and-Goal at CAR 4The Situation: The Bucs passing game was shredding the Panthers secondary on yet another long drive, looking to add to their 10-7 lead. Tampa Bay moved the ball down to the Carolina four yard line and looked poised to punch in another touchdown. The Play: Peyton Barber took a handoff and surged toward the goal line. He reached the ball forward as he lunged to break the plane. The ball came down on top of one of his blockers and was jarred loose for a fumble which Luke Kuechly alertly recovered in the end zone. This self-inflicted wound from the Bucs was a momentum shifter because it allowed Carolina to remain behind by just one score at the end of the game. 3rd Quarter 6:44 – Panthers 10, Bucs 24. Panthers ball 3rd-and-7 at CAR 11The Situation: The Bucs had just scored a touchdown to go up 24-10 in the third quarter. Kenjon Barner then muffed the kick return and was tackled at the Carolina eight yard line. Two plays later the Panthers faced 3rd-and-7 from the 11. A three-and-out with a punt from the end zone would have been devastating. The Play: Christian McCaffrey did what he always does - run a route, burn a defender in coverage (this time Lavonte David), catch a short pass, make people miss, and pick up a first down. Instead of punting from the end zone, CMC’s 15-yard gain extended a drive which ended with a Devin Funchess touchdown to cut the Panthers deficit to seven points at 24-17. Three plays to hateAll Four of Cam Newton’s InterceptionsThe Situation: I’m going to lump these into a singular “Play to Hate” instead of spreading them out one by one. The Play: Cam Newton’s first quarter interception set up Tampa Bay at the Carolina 20 and resulted in a field goal. His second quarter interception occurred at the Tampa Bay 25 and likely took a least a field goal off the board. His first fourth quarter pick happened just after the Panthers had crossed midfield and finally had some momentum after gains of 31 and 13 yards. His second fourth quarter interception occurred at the Tampa Bay 32 with the Panthers trailing by seven with 5:19 left in the game. The four picks were simply too much to overcome.3rd Quarter 10:19 – Panthers 10, Bucs 17. Buccaneers ball 3rd-and-7 at TB 28The Situation: There are multiple third down plays to hate here which led to a Tampa Bay touchdown and a 24-10 lead. The Play: On 3rd-and-7 from the Tampa Bay 28, James Bradberry was in press coverage on Mike Evans, got beat, and was flagged for a 12-yard pass interference to extend the drive. Three plays later the Bucs faced 3rd-and-11 from the Tampa Bay 39. This time Donte Jackson dropped back in deep, soft coverage and gave up 18-yards to an inexcusably wide-open Chris Godwin on an out route. On the very next play, Donte Jackson was flagged for a questionable 52-yard pass interference in the end zone as he let Bobo Wilson simply run past him on a streak. The Bucs scored from the 1-yard line to go up 24-10. Don’t blame the bad pass interference call for the touchdown - blame the failure to defend the pass on 3rd-and-7 and 3rd-and-11 earlier on this drive!4th Quarter 2:57 – Panthers 17, Bucs 24. Panthers ball 2nd-and-5 at TB 44The Situation: The Panthers had played terribly yet trailed by just seven points with 2:57 left and all three timeouts remaining. They had driven to the Tampa Bay 44 looking to tie the game late. The Play(s): The offense burned a precious timeout to set up the perfect play for 2nd-and-5. Instead, Chris Clark got smoked by Jason Pierre-Paul and Cam got sacked for a five yard loss, setting up a crucial 4th-and-9. The Panthers burned another valuable timeout to draw up a play to save the game. This time the play worked perfectly and Devin Funchess released wide open on a deep seam route and Cam overthrew him by 10 feet. Funch was as open as an NFL receiver can be and would have picked up 20-plus yards, but Cam missed him - and the Panthers last legitimate shot to tie the game - by a country mile. Closing it out and summing it upAnd...there goes the season. Four straight losses after a 6-2 start is hard to swallow.I’m a Panthers optimist. Until they are mathematically eliminated, I always hold out hope they can make the postseason. Once an NFL team is in the playoffs Greg Van Roten Color Rush Jersey , anything can happen. My mentality with the Panthers is “never tank” and “we’ll win next week”, but a putrid loss like this turns even a football Pollyanna like me into a cynic who wants to smash his remote. There’s no way to sugar coat this - Cam Newton’s poor decision making and lack of accuracy leading to the four interceptions cost the Panthers the game. Cam has been spectacular this season so let’s just chalk this up to a bad day. No need for long-term concerns with our franchise quarterback. The inability of the Panthers secondary to stop drives when opponents are facing third-and-long has been ridiculous all season. When opponents face 3rd-and-11, for example, and I see our corners and safeties retreat on the snap into that stupid deep, soft zone, I just close my eyes and wait for the inevitable 15-yard reception for a first down. That deep, soft zone is maddening. Christian McCaffrey (106 rushing yards, 55 receiving, 1 touchdown) and D.J. Moore (44 receiving yards, 21 rushing) continue to be special. Even after all of this, we’re not eliminated from the postseason just yet. I’m probably in the minority here, but I hope they Panthers finish strong, fix their defensive mistakes, and miraculously win out from here. Yes, that sentence sounded just as crazy to me as I typed it, but wins make me happy, losses frustrate me, and I don’t want to smash my expensive remote anytime soon. Plays to love season leaders6 - Christian McCaffrey 5 - D.J. Moore3 - Cam Newton, Greg Olsen, James Bradberry2 - Chris Clark, Devin Funchess, Efe Obada https://www.carolinapanthersfanshop.com , Kyle Love, Ryan Kalil, Torrey Smith, 1 - Ben Jacobs, Colin Jones, David Mayo, Donte Jackson, Eric Reid, Graham Gano, Greg Van Roten, Jarius Wright, Julius Peppers, Kawann Short, Luke Kuechly, Mario Addison, Michael Palardy, Norv Turner, Ron Rivera, Taylor Heinicke, Wes HortonPlays to hate season leaders6 - Cam Newton 4 - Eric Reid, James Bradberry, Mike Adams2 - Captain Munnerlyn Carolina Panthers Customized Jerseys , Christian McCaffrey, D.J. Moore, Dontari Poe, Donte Jackson, Eric Washington, Graham Gano1 - Amini Silatolu, C.J. Anderson, Chris Clark, Colin Jones, Corn Elder, Devin Funchess, Ian Thomas, Luke Kuechly, Norv Turner, Ron Rivera, Thomas Davis, Trai Turner