5 winners and losers from the Carolina Panthers loss at Buccaneers in Week 13

Winner No. 2

Donte Jackson - Carolina Panthers CB

Donte Jackson's been an easy target for the fanbase amid the team's struggles. It was a late afternoon for the Carolina Panthers to forget overall, but the cornerback turned in a tremendous display in difficult circumstances.

Jackson seemed to be all over the field in a bid to help the cause. The former second-round selection was assured in coverage more often than not, made impactful plays against the run, and brought the sort of energy most of his teammates lacked.

That didn't stop veteran wideout Mike Evans from having an exceptional day en route to his tenth-straight season accumulating more than 1,000 receiving yards. Others within the secondary were responsible for conceding big plays to a constant thorn in Carolina's side, which negated an outstanding performance from Jackson.

Aside from one or two blips, Jackson's upturn in production since the bye week is something the Panthers desperately needed. What it means for the player's future beyond the current campaign is anyone's guess, but he won't be short of suitors if he's released with a post-June 1 designation that comes with a saving of more than $10 million.

C.J. Henderson and Jaycee Horn didn't cover themselves in glory, but they've been missing for a while. The same cannot be said of Jackson, who can look back on his efforts with pride.