3 winners and 3 losers from Carolina Panthers’ loss at the Bucs in Week 18

Who were the big winners and losers from the Carolina Panthers’ loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the final game of the 2021 NFL season?

Well, Carolina Panthers fans, you can officially exhale because the dreadful season is over.

Just as it’s been the past seven weeks, the Panthers finished the season with a loss, and it was another blowout at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Despite starting the campaign 3-0, Carolina lost 12 of its final 14 games and finished with its worst record since 2010.

There was a point in Sunday’s game where the Panthers actually played pretty competitively. They led 7-0 in the first quarter and ended up trailing just 24-17 in the fourth, but after that, Tampa Bay scored 24 points to make the final score a convincing one.

With two heavy losses to the Bucs in three weeks, it shows just how far Carolina is from actually being a contender. And it’s quite far.

But just as the Panthers have done all season, they played like one of the best defenses in the league in the first quarter and struggle in all aspects the rest of the game.

Sam Darnold didn’t have an awful showing. But despite one great touchdown to Robby Anderson, he still didn’t prove anything to show he is worth the $18.85 million he’s owed next season.

So, for the final time this season, here are three winners and three losers from the game.