Carolina Panthers coach Matt Rhule started his Wednesday practice with an unusual lengthy meeting in the middle of the field in which you could hear him yelling over 100 yards away.
His message was simple: Keep improving. Don’t give up. Be mentally strong.
“It’s not about one game,’’ Rhule said later in the day. “It’s about who we are as a franchise. Who the Carolina Panthers are. ... We want a team that’s all in it together.’’
That came shining through on Sunday at Tampa Bay when the Panthers fought back from a 21-0 deficit to pull within a touchdown before losing 31-17 to Tom Brady and the Buccaneers.