The Carolina Panthers spurned an opportunity to clinch their first NFC South championship in a decade. Their loss to the Seattle Seahawks stung even more after the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were defeated by the Miami Dolphins, leaving the two division rivals gearing up for a winner-take-all showdown to conclude the campaign.
This has also been given some standalone love on Saturday afternoon on ESPN, which only raises the stakes. But for Pro Bowl defensive lineman Derrick Brown, he's not interested in anything other than getting the job done by any means necessary.
The Panthers have bounced back from losses almost constantly over the second half of 2025. Doing the same again will get them into the playoffs. It's also worth remembering that the Buccaneers are 1-7 over their last eight games, so this is not the daunting proposition it appeared earlier in the campaign.
Derrick Brown isn't interested in second after the Carolina Panthers have come this far
Brown issued a rallying cry to his teammates, who are all eager to move on quickly. The former Auburn standout wants to make the most of this opportunity, especially after experiencing nothing but misery since being drafted. He expects everyone else to adopt the same mindset, because there will be no tomorrow.
"You got to go get it. You talk about it all year, where you want to go, and you want to have these opportunities. You got no choice but to go get it. So it is what it is. We got to flush this s-- and get back to work. I mean, (expletive), if you don't understand what we got on the line now, I don't know what else to tell you. This is the s--- that we look for playing in the league. So to be able to have this opportunity, especially for me in a situation where I've never really had this opportunity, s---, I'm gonna lay it all on the line."Derrick Brown via Panthers
These are the games every fan, player, and coach should be relishing. It's an opportunity to reach the knockout rounds after an eight-year absence. It's a chance to end the Buccaneers' stranglehold on the division, dating back to 2020. The Panthers deserve to be here after the progress they've made, so this is all about closing it out emphatically.
Everyone knows what is on the line. Nerves will creep in, but players like Brown will be striving to lead from the front and ensure the Panthers stay on an even keel. They were brought back down to earth by the Seahawks, but they are not out of the fight just yet.
And as fans have seen countless times this season, the Panthers are at their best when the chips are down.