Well, at least Carolina Panthers fans can say they experienced something new this year.
Sunday’s 9-0 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers put a merciful end to what was probably the most embarrassing campaign in franchise history. And in that came a bit of NFL history—as the 2023 Panthers officially became the only team to ever go through a full season without a single lead in the fourth quarter.
Now, the key word there is “full,” as this “feat” has been “accomplished” before.
The 1982 Baltimore Colts also went through their season without having a lead in the fourth quarter. That 1982 campaign, however, played host to a strike-shortened regular-season schedule—one that lasted just nine games.
So, congratulations to this year’s Panthers—who led for zero minutes and zero seconds of zero fourth quarters over 17 whole contests.
But hey, unlike those 0-8-1 Colts, at least these 2-15 Panthers somehow found a way to get into that win column.
