The Carolina Panthers had an easy path to the playoffs on Saturday — win, and they are in. If they defeated the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, they would clinch their spot in the playoffs as NFC South champions. That's all they needed to do.
Instead, the Panthers lost 16-14 to the Buccaneers in rainy Tampa Bay. There was a lot that went wrong, including a failed flea flicker play resulting in a red zone fumble, and controversial penalties called by referees. It was a winnable game for Carolina, but they could not find a way to secure it.