TAMPA, Fla. _ If the phrase "missed opportunities" has been the summation of the Panthers' 2016 season, it was on full display in a 17-16 loss in Carolina's finale at Tampa Bay on Sunday.
Although Carolina stood firm on a third down in the red zone to hold Tampa Bay to a field goal, and struck back with a 2-yard punch-in by running back Jonathan Stewart, the game got sluggish in a hurry as each team gifted the other ample chances to capitalize.
Rookie James Bradberry kept the momentum going with an acrobatic pick (his second of the year) late in the first quarter and was hassled out of bounds at the Tampa Bay 16-yard line.
But the Panthers followed up Bradberry's big play with a blown assignment up front that led to a sack on quarterback Cam Newton, and got pushed back to a long third-and-29.
To add to that particular missed opportunity, kicker Graham Gano was wide right on the resulting 45-yard field goal attempt.
But Wes Horton stripped quarterback Jameis Winston on the Buccaneers first drive of the second quarter, and rookie Vernon Butler recovered to bring back the Panthers' momentum.
Once again, Newton was sacked (this time on third down), and Carolina had to punt.
Wide receiver Philly Brown got out-muscled on a deep pass from Newton midway through the second quarter and Keith Tandy came down with the pick.
The Bucs had a chance to score late in the half, but kicker Roberto Aguayo missed a 46-yard field goal. Gano missed a 58-yard field goal attempt wide left to end the half.
Tampa Bay corner Brent Grimes picked off quarterback Cam Newton on the second play of the second half and took it to the end zone to put the Buccaneers up 10-7.
Gano squeezed a 54-yarder through the uprights to tie the game midway through the third period. But as the Panthers drove and the final seconds of the period ticked away, Newton threw his third pick of the day, and the second deep ball was intercepted by Tandy.
On the following Bucs drive, defensive end Kony Ealy sacked Winston to hold Tampa to a field goal, which was then blocked (apparently by Kawann Short) and recovered by Panthers linebacker Shaq Thompson. The following drive resulted in a missed 36-yard attempt by Gano.
Winston got the go-ahead touchdown with a pass to receiver Mike Evans to bump the Bucs up 17-10 with 3:13 left to play.
Newton connected with receiver Kelvin Benjamin for a five-yard touchdown with 17 seconds left, but the two-point conversion attempt failed as tight end Greg Olsen slipped on his route.
