The Carolina Panthers did all the right things defensively in the first half against Seattle. They held their former quarterback, Sam Darnold, to just three points. All they needed was for the offense to do its job.

Unfortunately, though, against a top ten defense in the Seahawks that ended up being a difficult task.

The Panthers struggled to find any offensive rhythm. Seattle consistently compressed the pocket, took away easy throws, and forced Carolina into long, uncomfortable drives. They didn't reach the end zone until about midway through the third quarter, but not before Bryce Young had his first interception since the Monday night loss at San Francisco in late November.

Before that, Mike Jackson picked off Sam Darnold in the end zone just to have Chuba Hubbard fumble and give the ball right back on the first play on offense.

The game ended up getting away from the Panthers in the fourth quarter and it ended up being a sad couple of kneel downs from Bryce Young to close out Carolina's final home game of the regular season.

Still, as frustrating as the loss was, it fits into a larger trend that should actually encourage Panthers fans.

Since the first two weeks of the season, Carolina has not suffered back-to-back losses. Every stumble has been followed by a response. Every time the Panthers have faced real doubt, they’ve answered it. They got crushed by the Bills and went and beat the Packers at Lambeau. They followed up a disappointing loss at home to the Saints with a gem of a win down in Atlanta. After the loss to San Francisco in prime time, they bounced back with a win against the best team in the NFC, at the time, the LA Rams. 

That pattern matters now more than ever.

The loss to Seattle sets up a true do-or-die scenario next week on the road against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Win, and the Panthers capture the NFC South and punch a ticket to the playoffs. Lose, and the season ends. There’s no gray area.

And this is a Bucs team that has lost four straight and seems to be falling more apart every week. It's a Bucs team the Panthers beat last week. All these things should have Panther fans optimistic.

This team has shown growth in how it handles adversity. Bryce Young continues to mature through difficult moments. The locker room hasn’t fractured. I saw a locker room just a few minutes before writing this that still understands the assignment. Confidence hasn’t vanished. Even after a 27–10 disappointing loss.

Today was a set back. It wasn't a collapse.

With everything on the line in Tampa, Panther fans have reason to believe one thing remains true: when this team’s back is against the wall, it usually responds.

And next week, it has to.