Shaq Thompson needs to back up his big talk in Week 11

Shaq Thompson needs to back up his locker room outburst during the Carolina Panthers’ Week 11 game.

It’s clear that the Carolina Panthers fell well short of expectations during the second half of their embarrassing 46-23 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers last weekend. A complete capitulation after the break is something that’s been evident throughout the season and if things continue in this manner going forward, it is going to develop into a substantial problem.

Outside linebacker Shaq Thompson had seen enough. According to his teammates, the former first-round pick made his feelings known in no uncertain terms during a furious locker room outburst following the defeat.

This might sound a little rich coming from a player who hasn’t met expectations this season. But it might just be the catalyst behind a turnaround in fortunes.

Getting some harsh truths from a colleague could go either way – especially in the NFL – so how this group responds to Thompson’s criticism will tell head coach Matt Rhule and his staff plenty about what sort of characters they are working with.

It’s not a coincidence that this probably came after Thompson’s best performance of the campaign. He was like a man possessed in the first half and although his influence waned after the break, it was a big improvement on what we saw from the player during the first nine games.

However, the pressure will now be on Thompson to lead Carolina out of its current slump.