Overview
- Carolina fell to 8-9 and now needs an Atlanta win or tie against New Orleans on Sunday to claim the division title and a playoff berth.
- With the Panthers at Tampa Bay’s 20 in the fourth quarter, a rainy‑day flea flicker ended in a Rico Dowdle slip and fumble that the Buccaneers recovered; Dave Canales defended the aggressive call.
- A 31-yard Tetairoa McMillan reception was erased by an offensive pass interference flag, and other disputed rulings included a defensive PI on Nick Scott and a missed helmet-removal foul on Tampa Bay.
- Allen told a pool reporter the crew’s erroneous whistle on a backward pass meant Carolina “could have had a choice” to replay the down; instead the ball was spotted for second-and-17 and the drive ended with a missed 54-yard field goal try.
- Players and coaches pointed to execution as decisive, citing two turnovers, a 1-for-8 day on third down and just 19 rushing yards, with Bryce Young and Canales taking responsibility for missed opportunities.