CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Panthers gained a much-needed win over the Saints on Thursday night to keep their faint playoff hopes alive. Unforunately, they lost so much more.
Linebacker Luke Kuechly, their best player, their defensive leader, their high-effort paradigm, their beloved heartbeat, went down. With that, all those hopes were dashed in the worst possible way.
The focus is no longer on that Super Bowl hangover, from which Carolina got only a temporary reprieve with its first NFC South victory of 2016, 23-20. It's now, full-on, the utter heartbreak the Panthers and their fans suffered as they saw their superstsar suffering, struggling to breathe, sobbing out all of his shock and disappointment.