Panthers Take Cost in NFC South: Derrick Brown’s First Style of Management

Though an Atlanta Falcons’ victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers would put Carolina on the high of the NFC South standings, Panthers defensive lineman Derrick Brown couldn’t convey himself to cheer for the Falcons on Thursday evening.

It was a bridge too far for the previous Auburn All-American after six seasons within the division.

“I positively needed to push for the way in which that’s going to be finest for us, for positive, in that scenario,” Brown mentioned throughout an look on “The Wealthy Eisen Present” on Friday. “However I wouldn’t essentially say rooting for both facet. …

“I imply, I simply suppose the competitiveness and all that, you realize, I maintain that yr spherical, so it’s what it’s on that finish.”

With out Brown’s help, Atlanta nonetheless got here via for Carolina by overcoming a 14-point, fourth-quarter deficit to beat the Buccaneers 29-28 with a 43-yard discipline objective on the ultimate snap of the sport.

The loss dropped Tampa Bay to 7-7 for the 2025 season because the Bucs slipped behind the 7-6 Panthers on the high of the NFC South standings.

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Carolina performs the New Orleans Saints at 3:25 p.m. CST Sunday at Caesars Superdome in New Orleans.

The sport would be the first for the Panthers in sole possession of the division lead since Jan. 3, 2016, when Carolina defeated Tampa Bay 38-10 to complete its NFL regular-season schedule with a 15-1 file.

“To have the ability to play significant soccer right here in December, it’s a blessing,” Brown mentioned, “but additionally, too, I imply that is what we needed from the start. So, I imply, now we bought to maintain enterprise and that begins with this week going to New Orleans. …

“They simply had an explosive win final weekend versus the Bucs. And proper now, we bought to do what we bought to do to even put ourselves in that place and maintain that stuff subsequent week. So, I imply, proper now, deal with New Orleans via and thru.”

New Orleans defeated the Bucs 24-20 on Dec. 7, one in every of Tampa Bay’s 5 losses in its previous six video games to slip again to the Panthers, who had a 1-3 file on the finish of the primary month of the season.

After Carolina performs on Sunday, the Panthers and Buccaneers will every have three video games remaining on their regular-season schedules, and two of these video games can be in opposition to one another.

Carolina and Tampa Bay play in Charlotte, North Carolina on Dec. 21 and in Tampa, Florida, on Jan. 4. In between these video games, the Panthers play the Seattle Seahawks and the Buccaneers play the Miami Dolphins.

“It’s the identical course of that we’ve had all yr,” Carolina coach Dave Canales mentioned about Sunday’s assembly with the Saints, who beat the Panthers 17-7 on Nov. 9. “Each sport is a championship alternative and the place we’ve been even earlier than the sport (Thursday) evening, approaching this sport and respecting the opponent, respecting the Saints and the challenges that we’ve proper in entrance of us. And in order that’s bought to be the main target. And for us, our pursuit is to search out our greatest soccer and to proceed to work on the issues from all phases that we’re attempting to enhance upon and that we will rely on. And so conserving the blokes locked in and targeted on that and understanding we’ve this chance proper in entrance of us within the division. And what’s us, it’s straightforward for me to promote that.”