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Published Dec 31, 2023 • 3 minute read
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JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — Panthers owner David Tepper threw the contents of a drink into the visiting crowd near the end of Carolina’s 26-0 loss at Jacksonville on Sunday.
Tepper’s reaction came after rookie Bryce Young was intercepted with less than 3 minutes to play. It was unclear whether Tepper was reacting to something said to him or the latest miscue for the team with the NFL’s worst record.
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General manager Scott Fitterer was standing near Tepper when he tossed the remnants of his drink while watching the game from a club suite.
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The Panthers (2-14) dropped to 0-9 on the road and were shut out for the first time since losing to Atlanta in Week 12 in 2002. They also clinched the No. 1 overall pick in the NFL draft in April — a selection that will go to Chicago.
Nothing went right in this one for Carolina, and had Jacksonville not gone 1 for 5 scoring in the red zone, the outcome likely would have been way more lopsided.
Bryce Young completed 19 of 32 passes for 112 yards, with an interception, and was sacked six times. He now has been sacked a whopping 59 times.
“Yeah, not fun. Not fun at all,” Young said. “It’s on us. It’s what we put out. It’s our tape. It’s what we did. We own it, accept it. It is what it is, but it’s not fun.”
Carolina had issues before the coin flip.
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Kicker Eddy Pineiro injured his right hamstring in pregame warmups and was unable to go. Starting linebacker Kamu Grugier-Hill handled the opening kickoff, and interim coach Chris Tabor kept his offence on the field for a fourth-and-7 play in normal field-goal range on the team’s opening drive.
Young was sacked and took a shot to his back. He spent several minutes getting checked on the sideline and returned in time for the next series.
“Obviously when there’s only one kicker on your 48, that’s a tough deal,” Tabor said.
Cornerback Jaycee Horn (toe) also was a late scratch after going through warmups. Horn had been scheduled to play, and Tabor even made CJ Henderson inactive. But Horn couldn’t go, so Shaquill Griffin was thrust into the starting lineup.
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Griffin was burned for a 48-yard gain, part of a lackluster performance all around for the visitors.
“I’m disappointed, obviously, and that’s a pretty generic answer,” Tabor said. “Did not see it coming. I will tip my hat to the Jaguars. The way we were trending, I did not see this performance coming down.
“We never got on track. We talked a lot about starting fast this week, and we did not do that. … How are you going to deal with it? There’s only two choices: It’s either character or compromise. Those are questions for everybody.”
The Panthers had more injury issues during the game. Guard Cade Mays left with a finger injury and then linebacker Marquis Haynes, a sixth-year pro who grew up in Jacksonville, was carted off the field in the third quarter with a concussion. He was taken to a hospital for further testing and did not fly home with the team.
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Haynes flashed a thumbs-up sign to the crowd as he left the stadium. It was one of the few occasions Carolina fans had to cheer.
The Panthers finished with 124 yards, were 1 of 13 on third down and had defensive lineman Derrick Brown ejected along with Jacksonville left tackle Cam Robinson late in the fourth. They ripped off each other’s helmets after a play.
“Missed opportunities. Just execution top to bottom,” Young said. “There’s a long list of stuff I’ve got to do better, and then offensively we all take responsibility. We all look in the mirror, and I think ‘disconnected’ is a good word.
“Just wasn’t executing, wasn’t translating, and as far as the offence, that’s on me.”
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