These men were the primary newsmakers in Carolina’s sloppy but exciting 22-19 victory over Tampa Bay Sunday, which clinched the Panthers’ fourth playoff berth in the past five years:
Damiere Byrd: Byrd’s 103-yard kickoff return – the first kickoff return for a touchdown for the Panthers in six years – was a dazzling play. On some kickoff TD returns, the player is never touched. On this one, Byrd broke at least two attempted tackles. But Byrd then hurt his knee on the opening kickoff of the third quarter and did not return.
Brenton Bersin: Pressed into lots of action by the injury-related absences of Russell Shepard and then Byrd in the third quarter, the wide receiver the Panthers have fired five separate times made a great sliding catch on one play – but then dropped another strike that ultimately got intercepted.