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Panthers’ meltdown continues with insane muffed fair catch turnover
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- Panthers’ meltdown continues with insane muffed fair catch turnover
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The Carolina Panthers ' first playoff appearance since 2017 has not gotten off to the best start. After it seemed like Bryce Young finally had the offense going, Trevor Etienne killed what little momentum the Panthers had with an inexcusable special teams blunder.
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Etienne, the Panthers' punt returner, signaled for a fair catch on an Ethan Evans punt in the second quarter. However, he lost track of the ball, which bounced off his face mask and into the waiting arms of Rams linebacker Troy Reeder.
The blunder ruined a three-and-out forced by the Panthers' defense, which would have given Young excellent field position to work with. Instead, the Rams got the ball back at the Carolina 41-yard line.
Etienne was seen slamming his helmet into the bench as he sat down in frustration after the brutal error.
However, Los Angeles was unable to capitalize on Etienne's mistake. The Rams gained one first down before giving the ball right back after a failed fourth-down attempt in enemy territory.
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In return, the chaos continued with Young executing an 81-yard touchdown drive in just five plays. A pass interference penalty and a 37-yard completion to Jalen Coker set up the third-year quarterback's 16-yard touchdown run to cut the lead to 17-14.
After everything that went down, the Panthers' entering the locker room with a three-point deficit is nearly a best-case scenario. The Rams entered the game as 11-point favorites and looked the part in the first quarter before Carolina put up 14 points in the second frame.
Related: Bryce Young throws support behind Panthers teammates despite Wild Card loss to Rams
Related: Panthers fans heartbroken after last-second Wild Card loss to Rams
