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Hi Darin. I hope you are doing well. I love this team. They seem to play for each other with no personal ego, just confidence in each other. They exceeded everyone’s expectations, and they should feel proud. Watching the pregame show yesterday, I got really annoyed. Only Terry Bradshaw had any confidence in us. Maybe I’m just sensitive, but I almost felt like we were being made fun of. They were making it sound like the Rams beat themselves in Week 13 with mistakes, but we caused the Rams to make those mistakes, and we proved ourselves again yesterday. I’m done with my rant, and I do have a question. Being such a young team, how many of our guys have never played in a postseason game? Thank you. — LeeAnne, Lincolnton, NC
Because the Panthers are a young team, only two of their oldest players had ever played in a playoff game in this uniform prior to last week. That was JJ Jansen (7), and Taylor Moton (1).
They had 28 guys who had never played in a playoff game, including all of their draft picks for the last six years, and a few guys who were either on practice squads or injured reserve with playoff teams but had never played in a game.
They had 23 guys who had appeared in at least one playoff game, and two guys (Nick Samac and Trevis Gipson) who were on 53-man rosters for the playoffs but inactive for the game.
But here’s the cool part. Now they have a roster full of guys who have played in a playoff game, and that will serve them well in the future.
(All numbers prior to Rams game)
PLAYED IN PLAYOFF GAME (23)
Tershawn Wharton 13 (2 Super Bowl rings); Sam Martin 9; JJ Jansen 7; Christian Rozeboom 7 (1); A’Shawn Robinson 7 (1); Austin Corbett 6 (1); Nick Scott 6 (1); Bobby Brown 6 (1); David Moore 6; Yosh Nijman 5; Andy Dalton 4; Krys Barnes 3; Robert Rochell 3 (1); Robert Hunt 2; Damien Lewis 2; Taylor Moton 1; Jake Curhan 1; Rico Dowdle 1 (Dal IR in 21 and 22), Mike Jackson 1; DJ Wonnum 1; Tre’von Moehrig 1; D’Anthony Bell 1; Isaiah Simmons 1.
ON ROSTER IN PLAYOFFS BUT INACTIVE (2)
Nick Samac 2 (inactive both BAL 24); Trevis Gipson 1 (inactive with CHI 20).
PLAYERS WITH NO PREVIOUS PLAYOFF EXPERIENCE (28)
Tetairoa McMillan, Nic Scourton, Princely Umanmielen, Lathan Ransom, Trevor Etienne, Mitchell Evans, Cam Jackson, Jimmy Horn Jr., Jared Harrison-Hunte, Ryan Fitzgerald, Bam Martin-Scott, Xavier Legette, Chau Smith-Wade, Bryce Young, Ikem Ekwonu, Derrick Brown, Jaycee Horn, Tommy Tremble, Chuba Hubbard, Jalen Coker, Cade Mays, James Mitchell (was on WAS PS 24, DET IR 23); Bryce Tremayne (WAS PS in 24); LaBryan Ray; Claudin Cherelus; Thomas Incoom; Maema Njongmeta; Akayleb Evans (MIN IR 22).