Coming into Week 15, Carolina Panthers interim head coach Steve Wilks implored his players and fans to “defend the Bank.” But Mike Tomlin, the Pittsburgh Steelers and their fans apparently were having none of it.
Here are the top takeaways from Sunday’s 24-16 defeat.
Taste of their own medicine
The Panthers rolled into Sunday on a strong two-game winning streak—one in which they ran for a combined 408 yards and three touchdowns on 92 carries. But instead of continuing their role as the bully on Sunday, they were on the receiving (or rushing) end of the bullying.
Led by Steelers running back Najee Harris and his game-high 86 rushing yards, Pittsburgh pounded Carolina for 156 yards and three scores on 45 attempts. That establishment of the ground game allowed the Steelers to not only dominate in the time-of-possession battle (36:11 to 23:49), but it helped set up a ridiculous 75-percent third-down success rate (12-of-16).
Conversely, the Panthers couldn’t get anything done with their legs—amassing their lowest rushing output (21 yards on 16 tries) since 2012. They also converted on just four of their 11 third-down looks.
Keith Taylor Jr. had a very, very rough afternoon
When starting cornerback CJ Henderson made an early exit due to an ankle injury, Taylor Jr. was tasked with stepping up. But, unfortunately, he only got stepped on . . . and over . . . and by.
That aforementioned success on third down for Pittsburgh came, many a time, at the expense of Taylor Jr. His roughest moments came on a stiff arm by Harris, a case of Moss’ing courtesy of George Pickens and pretty much whenever he was lined up against Diontae Johnson—who finished with a game-high 98 receiving yards on 10 grabs.
If Henderson is set to miss an extended amount of time, Taylor Jr. will continue to be picked on by opposing offenses. And for that to stop, he’ll either have to make plays or make his way to the bench.
It's not over
As deflating of a loss as this was, the Panthers’ playoff hopes are not yet dashed.
Thanks to the New Orleans Saints’ 21-18 win over the Atlanta Falcons, the Panthers are in a three-way tie at 5-9 right below first place. And with a 3-1 record within the division, that trumps both New Orleans (2-3) and Atlanta (1-4) in the tiebreaker scenario.
As for the first-place Tampa Bay Buccaneers—the Panthers will remain within striking distance regardless of their outcome against the Cincinnati Bengals. A Tampa Bay win would push their lead over Carolina to two games, while a loss would keep it at one.
Even in the former scenario, the Panthers would be two games back with three to play and a date with the Bucs in Week 17. So, although they’d need a little help in that situation, it’s still not over.
