Games are often won and lost in the trenches. The Panthers lost at the point of attack on both sides of the ball and dropped a meaningful December game.
The Carolina Panthers and Pittsburgh Steelers entered this contest sporting identical 5-8 records. This game had significant playoff implications for Carolina as they remain in the hunt for first place in the NFC South, as unbelievable as that may sound. It felt coming into this game like a frisky Panthers team was going to pick up a win against a Steelers offense led by backup quarterback Mitchell Trubisky. Alas, the Panthers lost 24-16 with an uninspired effort. Here are the five key stats that led to the loss:
1.4 yards per carry – D’Onta Foreman and Chuba Hubbard combined for 14 carries for 19 yards, or 1.4 yards per carry. The Panthers longest run on the day was five yards. Carolina’s offensive line simply got manhandled in the trenches by Pittsburgh’s front four.
12 of 16 – The Steelers converted 12 of their 16 third down attempts to grind out long scoring drives and dominate time of possession by 12 minutes. The Panthers defense just couldn’t get off the field and looked gassed late in the game. With Carolina trailing 21-13 with 6:15 left in the fourth quarter, the Steelers offense went on a 13-play drive that chewed 5:11 off the clock to add a field goal and essentially put the game on ice.
21 plays – Speaking of long drives…Pittsburgh started the second half by going on a 21-play, 91-yard drive that lasted 11:43. The Steelers converted five third downs on this drive alone and ultimately scored a touchdown to take a 21-7 lead.
19 yards – The Panthers trailed 24-13 with 5:29 left in the game. Carolina’s defense forced the Steelers into a crucial third-and-14 from the Pittsburgh 21. A stop here by the Panthers D would have given the ball back to the offense with decent field position and a chance to tie the game. But wide receiver Diontae Johnson easily separated from Keith Taylor in man coverage for a 19-yard gain and a first down. Three plays later Johnson beat Taylor on third-and-6 for another first down. This series ended with a late Pittsburgh field goal to essentially put the game out of reach.
Too many – I don’t know how to quantify this, but after the Steelers first touchdown the TV cameras panned to the crowd at Bank of America Stadium. There were far too many fans dressed in black and yellow waving Terrible Towels. While the Steelers have a national fan base and Charlotte is home to a lot of transplants, it didn’t reflect well on Panthers fans to see that much yellow in the stands during a meaningful December game.
The overall summary
Sometimes teams lose games because of mistakes and lack of execution. Sometimes teams lose games because they simply got beat. The Panthers simply got beat in this one. The Steelers absolutely controlled the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball and imposed their will in the trenches. While Pittsburgh only averaged 3.5 yards per carry, they seemingly got the yards they needed when they needed them to extend drives and put points on the board.
But shout out to Sam Darnold for an efficient 14 of 23 passing for 225 yards, one touchdown, and no turnovers. DJ Moore remains the most underappreciated wide receiver in the NFL and put up a solid five receptions for 73 yards and a touchdown against the Steelers. Terrace Marshall Jr. continues to develop nicely with three receptions for 57 yards including a big 40-yard play.
I find Jeremy Chinn perplexing. On a day when he registered 14 tackles he was also repeatedly out of position, took several bad angles, and was regularly beaten in pass coverage. His highs are really high and his lows are really low. Chinn still has some lingering “halo effect” after his special rookie season in 2020, but he doesn’t seem to be progressing. PFF currently has him ranked 85th out of 88 safeties.
Frankie Luvu continued his Pro Bowl push with eight more tackles, one tackle for loss, and another sack, his sixth on the season.
At 5-9 the Panthers are one game behind the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and tied with the Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints. They are still in the thick of the playoff hunt by virtue of their membership in a terrible NFC South division. Carolina hosts the red-hot Detroit Lions on Saturday in a game they really need to win to stay alive in the playoff race.
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