
What were the big talking points as the Carolina Panthers were officially eliminated from playoff contention with defeat to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers?
As farcical as this Carolina Panthers team has been throughout the season, it’s fair to say on Sunday they reached their peak under head coach Matt Rhule.
We saw once again this strange two-quarterback system that Rhule is insisting on trying to force on this team. After the game saw one of the strangest press conferences you’ll ever see, with Rhule referencing rapper Jay-Z and TV show The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air.
If David Tepper was in attendance at Sunday’s game, he would have left with little doubt about the feeling of the fans.
Audible boos were heard on the broadcast when Rhule sent Sam Darnold into the game after just two drives from starter Cam Newton. Later in the third quarter, chants of “fire Matt Rhule” were heard around Bank of America Stadium as the Panthers were convincingly beaten by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to confirm another season without playoff football and extend their disastrous run of results following a 3-0 start.
On the back of that, let’s get into five big talking points from an abject Panthers showing to conclude their home campaign in 2021.