The Carolina Panthers did not carry themselves like a team that was two consecutive wins away from a division title on Sunday.
For the second time this season, the Panthers fell to the last-place New Orleans Saints. This time, they ate a heartbreaking 20-17 loss down in the bayou—one headlined by a myriad of flags.
Thanks to their less-than-sharp play, Carolina was penalized 11 times for a total of 103 yards.
Head coach Dave Canales started out his post-game press conference by acknowledging the sloppy showing.
“We talk about our play style, talk about play smart and finish. That did not show up today,” Canales stated. “And that’s something we certainly have to talk about.”
Carolina’s most damaging flag of all came with 12 seconds left in the fourth quarter, when safety Lathan Ransom dove at Saints quarterback Tyler Shough at the end of a slide. The folly gifted New Orleans another 15 yards and set up the go-ahead 47-yard field goal from kicker Charlie Smyth.
A victory would have given the Panthers a one-game lead in the NFC South heading into their Week 16 matchup with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. A win in that showdown, had Carolina taken care of business in New Orleans, would’ve clinched the franchise their first division crown since 2015.
Canales was later asked about the effects of spoiling such a golden opportunity.
“Yeah, there’s two things goin’ on,” he replied. “There’s a lot of guys who are really disappointed because of the missed opportunity that we had. At the same time, there’s a lot of great leaders in that locker room that understand we got a lot of football in front of us.
“We have to make sure that we move on quickly. We look at the film, make sure we tidy up the things that we need to and get ready for the next game.”
That next game is slated for 1:00 p.m. ET next Sunday, and will be the biggest game the Panthers have hosted in quite some time.
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