Just like last week , the Carolina Panthers were on the doorstep of a thrilling upset win. But also just like last week, a few late-game mistakes resulted in a painful walk-off loss.
Here are the biggest takeaways from Sunday's 26-23 defeat to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers :
The downfall for the Panthers rested with their inconsistencies and mistakes on all sides of the ball.
Kicker Eddy Pineiro , who was 16-of-17 on field goal tries coming in, missed attempts of 38 and 45 yards in the first half. Carolina, as a whole, scored only two touchdowns in four trips to the red zone.
There was, of course, the overtime fumble by running back Chuba Hubbard at Tampa Bay 's 30-yard line. Plus, Canales wasn't aggressive enough when he had favorable short-yardage situations in the first half, and almost entirely abandoned the run.
Defensively, the lack of NFL-caliber talent was on display—as the Panthers gave up 236 rushing yards.
This team is showing they are still learning how to win, execute consistently and stay disciplined through all four quarters.
Expectations coming into this game for Young were to protect the football and play with efficiency. He did just that against a talented Tampa Bay defense.
In the first two quarters alone, he completed 15 of 26 passes for a first-half career-high 186 yards and a rushing touchdown. He finished the game 26-of-46 for a season-high 298 passing yards.
Once again, Young played a great game. He never wavered in the face of pressure and delivered some excellent throws down the field—including his pass to wideout Adam Thielen for the go-ahead score late in the fourth quarter.
The former No. 1 overall selection played as such, and continued to silence more critics with his performance. He is beginning to make a great argument as to why he should be not just the Panthers' starter through 2024, but the team's franchise quarterback in the long term.
Since entering the league in 2021, Tremble has yet to become the breakout talent many hoped he'd be. But he certainly broke something out on Sunday.
Tremble, in the absence of rookie Ja'Tavion Sanders, reeled in five receptions for a career-high 77 yards. This was the type of performance fans have been waiting for.
The 24-year-old has always had the athletic profile to be a productive receiver at his position. Instead, he's either been marred by injuries or the offense didn't value the tight end position as much as some may have wanted.
Seeing him turn in a strong performance with five games left in the season was much needed, especially in the final year of his contract.
Until Sanders returns from his neck injury, this is Tremble's show at tight end—and he must continue to provide reliability for Young.
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Panthers HC Dave Canales praises Bryce Young's 'great' Week 13 performance
Panthers HC Dave Canales talks about heartbreaking loss to Buccaneers
Panthers' long-term investments in their offensive line are already paying off
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Panthers Wire mailbag: What fans want to know ahead of Week 13
This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: Biggest takeaways from Panthers' Week 13 loss to Buccaneers
