Loser No. 3
Eddy Pineiro - Carolina Panthers K
This was a fine margins game at Bank of America Stadium decided by a few critical moments. Eddy Pineiro picked a bad time to fluff his lines as the Carolina Panthers fell to a heart-breaking loss on home soil.
Pineiro is statistically the league's most consistent kicker of all time. That's no mean feat, but sometimes the pressure gets to him in key situations. Unfortunately for the Panthers, that proved to be the case once again against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The former Florida star missed two makeable field goals, which played a leading role in Carolina's eventual demise. Chuba Hubbard's costly fumble in overtime generated the headlines, but this game wouldn't have been close had the veteran made his attempts when called upon.
This is a setback for Pineiro, especially considering he's out of contract next spring. He's bounced back from adversity before. The Panthers need a similar response from the kicker to ensure they can generate positive momentum over the final five games of 2024.
Winner No. 4
Bryce Young - Carolina Panthers QB
Bryce Young is coming of age before our eyes. The Panthers must be thrilled with what they've seen from the quarterback since his reintroduction into the starting lineup. He couldn't have done much more in Week 13 against the Buccaneers.
Young's enjoying his football again. He's confident and poised, displaying conviction in the pocket that was sorely lacking previously. The former No. 1 overall selection got the football out on time and made tough throws look easy en route to another stylish performance.
Carolina also knows that Young can come through in the clutch. He demonstrated this quality by driving his team downfield before launching a strike to Adam Thielen for the go-ahead touchdown with around 30 seconds remaining. It wasn't enough to get the win, but the signal-caller wasn't anywhere close to being a weak link.
The Panthers might have something with Young when all hope seemed lost. Everyone within the organization and across the fanbase is starting to believe he can become their franchise presence under center. Results aren't there yet, but that'll come once Carolina surrounds the former Alabama star with the weapons needed to thrive.