Sunday was a true test of the resolve of the Carolina Panthers coaching staff. A first half onslaught resulted in 35 points for the home team while the defense held the league’s highest grossing offense to just 14. A 21 point halftime lead is typically insurmountable, and the by-the-book approach is often to play it safe and try to grind out the final 30 minutes of the game. It’s what we’ve come to expect out of the Panthers, and it typically results in floundered leads and heart wrenching finishes.
Sunday’s game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers almost went that route, but it wasn’t by design, as is often the case.