A valiant effort for Carolina Panthers ended in a loss against a Cincinnati Bengals team desperate for a win. While the familiar sting of losing was felt by all, the Panthers energy, competency and competitiveness made for a significantly more enjoyable product compared to the last couple years.
Of course, actually pulling off the win would have been nicer, but as Dave Canales put it in his press availability on Monday afternoon, there were too many “opportunities lost” (perhaps a cousin of Riverboat Ron’s “missed opportunities”) for the Panthers that left a “sick feeling” of regret permeating the team.