The Carolina Panthers lost (again), so why are fans so happy?

Enthusiasm was returning to the Carolina Panthers following their sensational Week 3 win at the Las Vegas Raiders. This came to a halt after Dave Canales' men were beaten at home by the Cincinnati Bengals, but another defeat didn't come with the usual dismay and misery among the fanbase.

One could even say the fans were relatively pleased across social media following the loss. That might seem strange with the Panthers sitting at 1-3 and winning just three of their last 21 regular-season contests. However, it stems from one thing above all else.

Being competitive.

Fans just want to see some heart. Some unity among the players and coaching staff. Some fight whether things are going well or not. That might seem like the minimum requirement for players at the pinnacle who are being paid millions, but it's been in short supply where the Panthers are concerned since David Tepper bought the franchise from Jerry Richardson.

Sure, the result didn't go Carolina's way in Week 4. Had the defense been a little better and a few individual mistakes not crept into the offensive pass-catchers, it could have been different. That's all part of the learning process, although it's no doubt frustrating for Canales when he sees how close his side is to matching anybody in the league.

Carolina Panthers' competitiveness is inspiring the fanbase

This was a sentiment echoed around the locker room following the reverse at Bank of America Stadium. Veteran offensive lineman Austin Corbett remains encouraged about the team's long-term outlook, citing the Panthers' growing continuity and determination in the face of significant adversity as solid foundations from which to build moving forward.

"Just the continuity of the team coming together. Everybody fighting for one another, no matter what happens on the other side of the ball. We're answering, and nobody's hanging their heads; just let it down. There's a fight, there's a determination that we've had recently that we haven't had in years past. So this is a new team, but we've just got to change the results for the wins."

- Austin Corbett via Panthers.com

After being the NFL's whipping boys and the league's laughingstock for so long, fans just want to be excited. This centers on fundamentally sound football and not shirking any challenge that comes their way.

It's going to be a gradual process considering the mess inherited by the new regime. There might be more losses than wins when it's all said and done. At the same time, this team's long-suffering support is growing in confidence that things are progressing effectively.

Things might take time for the results to show. Nobody stands still in the NFL and everyone is relentless in pursuit of improvements. Taking things one step at a time and maximizing winning opportunities when they present themselves is imperative. Anything else is a bonus after that.

This needs a level of patience. Fans seem to be on board with that and ready to take the rough with the smooth in 2024. Tepper is the wildcard, but he needs to find the pulse of the franchise and not revert to the erratic ways that descended this once-proud organization into complete chaos under his ownership.

The Panthers lost in Week 4. Plenty more defeats could be on the horizon. But if they show the same fight and competitive spirit, the fans will have their back.

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