Derrick Brown understands the tough reality of the Panthers’ loss and he’s not happy about it
He has every right to be frustrated with how Saturday’s game went.
The Carolina Panthers had everything in front of them to clinch the final spot in the NFC playoffs in Week 18 with a win, and much like the team has all season, the Panthers disappeared in the spotlight.
The Panthers fell, 16-14, against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and ended the season with consecutive losses despite controlling their own destiny. Throughout the season, Carolina had been resilient after a loss until those costly final two weeks that all but put the final nail in the team’s coffin.
“They all add up. They all suck,” defensive tackle Derrick Brown said after the loss. “I [don’t ever] want to be a loser in my life. Losing today for damn sure hurts.”
Derrick Brown understands the tough reality of what the Week 18 loss means
Let’s be clear, the Panthers still are not eliminated from playoff contention despite losing their final regular season game of the season, but the ball is out of their hands now. Not many people even expected the Panthers to be in this position this season, batting to the end for a home playoff game. But, almost making it is never rewarded.
“The expectation from the time we started back in April, it was to go out here and be able to compete for the NFC South,” Brown explained. “It’s crazy to see how far we’ve come. But I mean, at the end of the day, if you still don’t get it done then you don’t get it done.”
Carolina still has one final fail-safe that can secure a playoff spot and the team will be needing some help from a division rival. If the Atlanta Falcons beat the New Orleans Saints on Sunday, the Panthers can fall backwards into the postseason. But, if the Saints win, the Buccaneers will win the NFC South and host a wild card game as the No. 4 seed. It’s not a reality any player wants to bank on.
“I live my life where I don’t need anybody doing anything for me,” Brown added. “So, it’s tough to have to sit around and wait to see the result tomorrow.”
With how that game went on Saturday with so much at stake, Brown has every right to be frustrated. In game filled with missed opportunities, atrocious officiating, and bad weather, Brown truly left it all on the field like there was no tomorrow.
The team’s defensive leader finished the game with a team-high 13 total tackles and six pressures. He was a menace all game long but not everyone on the team played with that same kind of championship mentality.
Hopefully things go the Panthers way on Sunday, giving Brown and this team one last thing to play for this season.
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