Panthers News: Bryce Young, Chris Tabor, Brian Burns and Jaycee Horn
By Dean Jones
Which Carolina Panthers news stories are hitting the headlines after another disappointing defeat at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers?
Frank Reich might be gone, but the same problems remain. The Carolina Panthers failed to galvanize themselves en route to their 11th loss in 12 regular-season games at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, which officially made them the first team to be eliminated from playoff contention.
It's a complete mess and unlikely to get any better over their remaining five games. While coaches and players seemingly go through the motions, the stories causing conversation include Brian Burns' ejection, Jaycee Horn's return, Chris Tabor on questionable offensive calls in key moments, and Bryce Young's assessment.
Let's delve into each topic in more detail.
Carolina Panthers' cautious approach with Jaycee Horn
It was great to see Jaycee Horn back in the lineup. The cornerback looked a little rusty after taking the field for the first time since Week 1, which saw the former first-round pick give up more big plays than most anticipated as wide receiver Mike Evans torched the Carolina Panthers yet again.
Horn was also on the sidelines a lot, which led to speculation the South Carolina product had been benched. When clarifying the situation, interim head coach Chris Tabor stated that he was on a snap count that the Panthers stuck to despite having a shot to win the game late.
Tabor said Jaycee Horn was on a pitch count, which is why he wasn't on the field late in the game.
— Darin Gantt (@daringantt) December 4, 2023
Coming off an injury that cost him 10 games, they wanted to be smart for the long-term with him.
This was a sensible approach. Horn's track record on the injury front isn't great and with the Panthers playing for nothing other than pride, erring on the side of caution represents the best course of action.