The Carolina Panthers could not sustain momentum from last week's win over the Detroit Lions as they fell to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 30-24, in Week 17 of the 2022 NFL season. This loss solidified the Panthers' exit from playoff contention and handed the NFC South to the Buccaneers, who are now officially in the postseason. It was a sorry loss for the Panthers, who led at halftime only to see Tom Brady mount yet another second-half comeback to prevail. The Panthers fell to 6-10 and are tied for third place in the NFC South with the Atlanta Falcons. Here we'll discuss the four Panthers most to blame for their Week 17 loss vs. the Buccaneers.

The Panthers started strong, leading 14-0 in the second quarter. However, they were only able to score 10 points in the second half while the Buccaneers scored 20 points in the fourth quarter alone.

D'Onta Foreman, the Panthers' leading rusher, was a non-factor, and quarterback Sam Darnold was inconsistent. The Panthers' defense was also part of the problem in this game. Mike Evans scored three touchdowns by burning man coverage along the right sideline, which was a recurring theme for Panthers fans in the second half. Their defense just allowed Tampa Bay to score too much in the fourth quarter.

Next week, the Panthers will face the Saints in New Orleans and will finish the regular season with a rivalry game against the Saints.

For now, let us look at the four Panthers most to blame for their Week 17 loss vs. the Buccaneers.

4. WR Terrace Marshall Jr.

Terrace Marshall Jr. was really good the past couple of weeks. To illustrate, in Week 16, he caught two of three targets for 55 yards in a 37-23 win over the Lions. He finished second on the Panthers in receiving, with gains of 36 and 19 yards. He was a big-time playmaker for the Panthers.

Marshall, in Week 17, however, was unable to make a significant impact in the most important game. He had only 15 yards on two receptions. That was just not significant enough. He turned from a big-time playmaker to a big-time dud.

3. Panthers Secondary

The Panthers were without their top two cornerbacks, Jaycee Horn and Donte Jackson. Panthers fans felt their absence, and certainly, their defense did, too.

The outcome? Tampa Bay's offense had a strong performance, especially due to the connection between quarterback Tom Brady and wide receiver Mike Evans. Brady threw for a season-high 432 yards and found Evans for three long touchdowns. CJ Henderson and Keith Taylor Jr., who were starting in place of Horn and Jackson, were responsible for covering Evans on those touchdowns.

It is evident that the Panthers' defense just suffers without its premier cover men on the field. The Carolina secondary in this game just made the Bucs previously underperforming offense finally look good. The Buccaneers scored 24 points for the first time since Week 4, largely due to their passing attack.

2. QB Sam Darnold

To be honest, Carolina QB Sam Darnold had a solid performance. He completed 23-of-37 passes for a career-high 341 yards and three touchdowns. He distributed the ball well to Tommy Tremble, DJ Moore, and Shi Smith. Through three quarters, Darnold was playing some of the best football of his career as a Panther. Despite his first interception and fumble of the season, he looked confident and composed as he led the Panthers to a 21-10 lead with his three touchdown passes.

Having said that, as the defense struggled and allowed Tampa Bay to score 20 points in the quarter, Darnold became flustered and allowed the pressure to affect him. To illustrate, his eventual failure to anticipate the pressure from linebacker Anthony Nelson led to a crucial turnover. With under three minutes left in the fourth quarter, he was stripped of the ball, which set the Buccaneers up at the Panthers' 6-yard line. Two plays later, Tom Brady scored a 1-yard touchdown, giving the Buccaneers a 9-point lead that Darnold and the offense were unable to overcome.

1. Panthers Rushing Offense

The Panthers rushing game is typically a strength. However, it did not perform well in this game.

Keep in mind that RBs D'Onta Foreman and Chuba Hubbard had both run for career-highs of 165 yards and 125 yards in the previous game. In Week 17, they combined for only 47 yards on 16 attempts.

During the first half, Foreman and Hubbard had a total of 27 rushing yards on nine carries. Despite leading for most of the game, the Panthers finished with only 74 rushing yards on 22 carries. Foreman had 13 carries for 35 yards and was not targeted in the passing game. Meanwhile, Hubbard had three carries for 12 yards and caught all three of his targets for 53 yards. However, he also lost a fumble. This was Hubbard's lowest carry total since Week 6.