One last chance at redemption for the Panthers

TROY HULL | THE CHARLOTTE POST

Carolina Panthers cornerback Mike Jackson (2) tackles Seattle running back Kenneth Walker III during the Seahawks’ 27-10 win Dec. 28 at Bank of America Stadium. The loss dropped Carolina to 8-8, a game ahead of Tampa Bay for the NFC South lead. The Panthers and Buccaneers play Saturday in Tampa, Florida, for the division title.

Mike Jackson enjoyed his redemption moment. 

When Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold lofted a pass intended for Jaxon Smith-Njigba in the far corner of the end zone, Jackson tracked it down for an over-the-shoulder interception. Sprinting down the sideline at Bank of America Stadium, Jackson, who was traded by the Seahawks at the end of the 2024 training camp, searched for former teammates. 

The ones who arrived at the locker room well after he started his morning work. The ones who might have overlooked him. 

Jackson wanted them to notice how he helped keep Sunday’s game tied at 3-all 2:48 into the second half. The one-time Seahawks cast-off kept the Panthers (8-8) competitive for an elusive NFC South title – at least until the final stages of the third quarter.    

“A lot of them people used to laugh at me,” Jackson said. “They tried the slow ball. I felt it coming. I just went and got it. Running all the way down the sidelines, it was kind of like, ‘Look at me now,’ like, ‘You feel me?’ I used to come in the building at 5:30 in the morning and it was just kind of like, ‘Now you got to look at me.’” 

The Seahawks didn’t blink. 

The NFC leaders scored off two third-quarter turnovers and ended up with the last laugh, pulling away to a 27-10 victory. 

Panthers in a must-win situation 

With the Tampa Bay Buccaneers losing for the seventh time in eight outings Sunday, the Panthers (8-8) could have clinched their first division title since 2015, but Jackson and the defense couldn’t completely compensate for Carolina’s inconsistent and overmatched offense. 

Utilizing a mix of man-to-man coverages with an effective pass rush, Panthers quarterback Bryce Young threw for a career-low 54 yards. The Panthers limited Darnold, an MVP candidate, to 147 passing yards, marking the second straight outing in which they held a former Panthers quarterback to fewer than 150 yards.  

“We know who we are on defense,” said Jackson, who played all 66 snaps and posted a career-high 11 tackles. “We played good, but we still let some plays get away from us, so it’s like, we just got to be consistent.  That’s a playoff team and that's kind of how playoff games go, so we’ve got to be ready to go toe-to-toe for four quarters.”

Sunday’s loss in the franchise’s 500th regular-season contest, established a winner-take-all NFC South showdown Saturday at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa. 

“We definitely feel the missed opportunity, but at the same time, we know it's in front of us,” Panthers coach Dave Canales said. “It’s clearly defined ... facing the Bucs one more time on the last game of the season.” 

The Panthers took care of business by edging the Buccaneers 23-20 Dec. 21 to take control of the division. With several tiebreakers in play, Carolina’s most direct route to qualifying for their first playoff since 2017 remains replicating their Week 16 effort against quarterback Baker Mayfield, who earned wins during his first five outings against his former team. On Dec. 21, however, the Panthers’ defense limited Mayfield to 145 passing yards. 

‘That’s life in the big leagues’ 

Jackson should expect to remain busy against Tampa Bay. Despite their recent skid, Mayfield still leads a talented collection of offensive assets. Receiver Mike Evans is healthy and flanked by Emeka Egbuka, Sterling Shepard and Chris Godwin Jr. 

Tight end Chad Otton and running backs Rachaad White and Bucky Irving provide Mayfield with a balance of options. 

Jackson and Jaycee Horn formed a reliable cornerback duo the past two seasons. Jackson added two passes defended Sunday, increasing his NFL-high total to 19. 

The Panthers likely will continue focusing on limiting explosive plays like they did against the Seahawks, one of the league’s top big-play offenses. 

Entering Week 17, Darnold topped all quarterbacks by averaging 20.3 yards per attempt and posted eight touchdown passes of at least 20 yards, third most in the league. The Panthers allowed just one downfield reception of at least 16 yards Sunday.  

“I just got to talk about our defense and the amazing game they played to give us opportunities offensively,” Canales said. “We didn’t do anything with those.”

Will Young have more time in the pocket than he did against Seattle, which posted two sacks, four hurries and 10 pressures? The Panthers’ offense produced just 139 total yards against the league’s fifth-ranked defense (292.6 yards per game).   

“The Seahawks certainly got some wins,” Canales said. “They had some nice stunts where they came free, some one-on-one wins. 

“(Young) was going through his progressions. There were times he had to move and get out of the pocket. That’s life in the big leagues. That’s the NFL.”

Saturday’s winner will likely face the NFC West runner-up, either the Seahawks, Los Angeles Rams, or San Francisco 49ers. Carolina beat the Rams but lost to the 49ers and Seahawks. 

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