With the Carolina offense sputtering, the Panthers needed a huge performance from its aging defense on Monday Night football against the New Orleans Saints.
And the Panthers’ defense came up with one of its best efforts of the season, but Carolina’s D appeared to tire late from being on the field so long. Sure enough, New Orleans mounted a punishing drive late in the fourth quarter, converting a fourth and 1 at the Panthers’ 13 just before the two minute warning. That was enough.
Carolina lost its sixth straight game, 12-9, and a season that began with a 6-2 start and legitimate Super Bowl hopes, well, it’s now turned into a 6-8 record and an extension of one of the worst Panthers’ streaks of all-time:
Carolina has never had back-to-back winning seasons.