5 Carolina Panthers losses that hurt the most in 2021

Carolina Panthers loss to the Vikings in Week 6

The Carolina Panthers should have beaten the Minnesota Vikings in Week 6 and stopped their losing streak at two games. The biggest reason the team was unable to pull off the victory was obviously quarterback Sam Darnold, who simply couldn’t play close to the level Kirk Cousins did.

This was one of the more painful losses of the season as it forced reality to set in for the Panthers and their fans. When you get outgunned by Cousins the way that Darnold did for your third straight loss it serves as a wake-up call.

Losing to the Vikings was the game that convinced much of the fanbase this wasn’t the Carolina team we thought they were through the first three weeks of the season. To make matters worse, Darnold put together a game that made Cousins look like a top-tier quarterback.

Minnesota ended up missing the playoffs with an 8-9 record and the organization opted to clean house by removing head coach Mike Zimmer and general manager Rick Spielman from the equation as a result.

The last two losses before this one could have been wiped away if Darnold could right the ship and put Carolina back in the win column. Instead, he gave an ominous performance that hinted at what was to come for the Panthers and their signal-caller for the rest of the season.