5 winners and losers from the Carolina Panthers loss at Buccaneers in Week 13
By Dean Jones
Who were the big winners and losers from another disappointing loss for the Carolina Panthers in Week 13 at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers?
The Carolina Panthers are in the midst of one of their worst seasons in franchise history. That's saying something considering the organization has never had back-to-back winning years and hasn't gone above .500 since David Tepper took ownership.
Their latest loss came at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers - their 11th reverse from 12 contests in 2023. Frank Reich wasn't around to oversee the operation after being fired, but the interim regime was unable to overcome the same old failings.
Carolina's problems run much deeper than the recently departed head coach - but fans already knew that. It's going to take a long time to build the Panthers back to prominence, with landmark changes across the board potentially coming again once the campaign concludes.
That's for the future. For now, here are five winners and losers from Carolina's defeat in Tampa Bay.
Loser No. 1
Thomas Brown - Carolina Panthers OC
There were some slight improvements on offense as Thomas Brown reassumed play-calling duties. More pre-snap motion was evident right out of the gate and more rollouts were called for quarterback Bryce Young. The power running attack that made the Carolina Panthers so successful under Steve Wilks also came to the fore.
Their early momentum quickly faded. When the time came for a crucial third-and-one with the result hanging in the balance, Brown called two passing plays - the second of which was intercepted.
Considering how Chuba Hubbard was running the football, that should have been the play. And it should have come with Young under center rather than adopting those needless shotgun plays in short yardage.