The Carolina Panthers shot themselves in the foot way too many times during their back-breaking loss to the New Orleans Saints. One of the main catalysts behind their demise was a complete lack of discipline throughout the contest.
Carolina conceded no fewer than 11 penalties for more than 100 yards. It's hard to recover from that, and an ill-advised hit by rookie safety Lathan Ransom on quarterback Tyler Shough put the Saints in manageable field goal range as time expired. Charlie Smyth met his end of the bargain, blowing the NFC South title race wide open once again.
Fans and players thought Shough slid too late. There is nothing a defensive player can do to become noncommittal when they fall. There were also accusations of the signal-caller overselling his injury to stop the clock and get the field goal unit on.
Tyler Shough infuriates Carolina Panthers fans with postgame confession
Perhaps surprisingly, Shough admitted as much during his postgame appearance in front of the media. The rookie signal-caller said the blow from Ransom hurt, but he also knew that a little extra time was needed to ensure the Saints were in the best possible position to get things in order.
"I kinda, maybe sold a little bit because I knew we didn’t have any timeouts. I mean, it definitely hurt a bit. But I was good, and we had to be in that scenario where we were going to clock it. I was fine, but we just had to do it. Gotta be smart, get down earlier, but it ended up working out."Tyler Shough
It is what it is. Flopping in the NFL is pretty commonplace, although it doesn't compare to other sports. Shough was aware enough to put the infringement to his advantage. Given the sport's violent nature, officials have to take players at their word.
There's nothing the Panthers can do about it now. This confession will no doubt infuriate fans, but staying focused on the next task and nothing more is crucial. Looking back with remorse is not an option, not when Carolina still has everything in front of them.
They'll get a chance to stick it to Shough next season. He's playing well enough for the Saints to avoid taking a quarterback in the first round, and this omission will give the Panthers all the motivation they need to make him pay in 2026.
Before then, the Panthers have more pressing priorities. And the need to get back on track this weekend against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers cannot be overstated.