CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Carolina Panthers fans voiced their displeasure more than once with boos during a 20-14 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Thursday night.
Jameis Winston threw for 208 yards and a touchdown, Tampa Bay held Cam Newton in check and came up with a late goal-line stand and the Buccaneers beat the Carolina Panthers early Friday to give coach Bruce Arians his first victory with the team.
Perhaps being soaked by an early evening thunderstorm that delayed game action in the first quarter for 25 minutes led to the fans' ill mood. But those who remained at Bank of America Stadium throughout had to be wondering how a Panthers season that started with high expectations is now teetering on the brink of disaster after an 0-2 start.
That became certain after Christian McCaffrey's fourth-and-one fake reverse was stopped for no gain with 1:22 to play.
"It came down to the ball is in my hands and I've got to make a play at the end of the game, and I didn't," McCaffrey said.
Chris Godwin had eight catches for 121 yards and a touchdown, Peyton Barber ran for 82 yards and a score and the Bucs won despite converting only 2 of 12 first downs in the game that was delayed 25 minutes in first quarter because of lightning in the area.
It marked the third time Carolina was unable to convert a fourth-and-one play. Quarterback Cam Newton was stopped in the first quarter, and a pass by Newton was incomplete earlier in the fourth quarter.
The Panthers were just 3 of 14 on third downs, too.
Oh, and they failed to score a touchdown.
Newton finished with 324 yards passing, but was held without a touchdown for the second straight game. He also fumbled again.
"It's extremely frustrating knowing that you're getting opportunities and you're not putting the ball in the end zone," Newton said
Newton couldn't get the Panthers (0-2) into the end zone on the final drive despite numerous breaks. On fourth down from the 2, the Bucs stopped Christian McCaffrey after he took a snap out of the wildcat formation to take over on downs.
Carolina's loss came on a night in which the Panthers were afforded numerous opportunities to even their record following a 30-27 home loss five days earlier against the Los Angeles Rams.
Tampa Bay had a missed touchdown catch on a drive that resulted in a missed field goal late in the third quarter, and the Buccaneers committed 12 penalties.
But the Panthers' offense misfired time and again on a night in which Carolina's points came on four field goals and a safety by Luke Kuechly.
"Through my lens, it's hard to look defensive guys in the eyes after a game like this," Newton said. "Offensively, we've got to hold up our end of the bargain. We just didn't uphold our end. And we're past due."
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The Buccaneers (1-1) got plenty of pressure on Newton with three sacks coming from Shaquil Barrett. They also held McCaffrey to 53 total yards from scrimmage after he racked up 209 yards and two touchdowns in the season opener against the Los Angeles Rams.
They are 0-2 for the first time since the 2013 season.
There were a few bizarre plays on the final drive, including a pass reception where D.J. Moore appeared to make a catch before the first-down marker. But when one official threw the ball to another to be spotted for the next play, the ball appeared to be moved ahead nearly a yard forward and the Panthers were given a first down without a measurement.
A short while later, Bucs cornerback Carlton Davis was flagged for a facemask penalty after a reception by Curtis Samuel, giving the Panthers a first down at the Bucs 11.
And then the Bucs were called for a delay of game for calling two consecutive timeouts.
Despite all of that, the Panthers still couldn't score on a fourth and 1 from the 2. McCaffrey took the direct snap, faked a reverse to Samuel and raced to the outside looking for the end zone but was shoved out of bounds.
"We felt good about the play, and at least picking up the first down," Panthers coach Ron Rivera said.
Newton, who had offseason shoulder surgery, was questioned earlier in the week about his team's lack of deep throws.
He appeared to answer those critics with a 44-yard completion to Curtis Samuel late in the first quarter. But offensive line breakdowns led to pressure on six throws and Newton was sacked three times. He completed 25 of 51 passes for 333 yards.
Additionally, Newton's usually effective running game was again non-existent.
The third all-time rushing quarterback in NFL history, Newton followed his career-low minus-two yards in Sunday's loss with a second-worst game of two carries for zero yards. For the season, Newton now has five carries for minus-two yards with two fumbles.
"Obviously it's very frustrating," Panthers coach Ron Rivera said. "It's very frustrating when so many things go against us. And at the end of the day, that's on me. We've got a couple extra days to watch some things on tape. We'll get those things worked out and those things corrected. We've got 15 weeks and we'll take them one at a time."
McCaffrey followed last Sunday's 209 total yards on 29 touches with 53 yards on 18 touches.
Were McCaffrey's struggles a result of Newton's inability to establish a running game that has churned for 4,808 yards in his first eight NFL seasons?
"I don't know," McCaffrey said. "We'll have to see."
The loss gives Carolina its ninth 0-2 start in the franchise's 25-year history - and first since 2013.
In 2013, the Panthers started 0-2 and 1-3 before an eight-game winning streak led to a 12-4 record. It marks the only time Carolina has recovered from an 0-2 start to have a winning record.
Even worse for the Panthers, Thursday's loss marks the ninth time Carolina has started a season with two straight home losses. And the best the Panthers have ever done after losing their first two home games was 7-9 (in 1997, 2000, 2004 and 2007).
The home loss was the team's fifth straight. That is tied for fourth-longest in franchise history.
Newton said he heard - and understood - the fans' frustration in the form of boos.
"It's embarrassing," Newton said. "I hear the fans. Walking off the field, I can't deny the fact that I hear that. You can't blame them. They deserve better."
NEWTON THROWS DEEP
After fielding plenty of questions about only attempting only one pass of more than 20 yards downfield in the season opener against the Rams, Newton connected on a 44-yard strike to Curtis Samuel late in the first quarter. It was one of handful of deep balls the quarterback threw.
JEERS TO CHEERS
After fumbling his first two punt return attempts, Ray-Ray McCloud was greeted with sarcastically cheers as he fielded his third punt cleanly. But the jeers quickly turned to cheers when McCloud raced up the middle of the field for a 39-yard return.
BURNS GETS FIRST
Panthers first round draft pick Brian Burns recorded his first career sack in the second quarter.
SLYE GUY
Undrafted rookie Joey Slye made his first three field of the night, including a 54-yarder and is now 5 of 6 on the season in place of the injured Graham Gano.
NEWTON ON THE RUN
Newton is the NFL's third-leading rusher as a quarterback, but through two games he has minus-2 yards on five carries and two fumbles)
INJURIES
Buccaneers: Linebacker Devin White left the game in the first quarter with a knee injury and cornerback Jamel Dean suffered a lower leg injury in the third. Neither player returned to the game.
Panthers: None reported.
UP NEXT
Buccaneers: Host New York Giants on Sept. 22.
Panthers: At Arizona on Sept. 22.
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