Rapid Reactions: Saints run away from Panthers in season finale, 33-7

[Sir Purr]

CHARLOTTE -- The offseason was going to be spent talking about the Panthers quarterback situation anyway.


Now, it will be a topic every day from now until the end of April.


The Panthers pulled starting quarterback Teddy Bridgewater in the third quarter of their season-ending 33-7 loss to the Saints after he threw a pair of interceptions in the end zone.


The fact that backup P.J. Walker came in and promptly threw another interception didn't matter, as Sunday's performance was the latest in a series of rough outings for Bridgewater coming down the stretch.


With the Panthers picking in the top 10 of the 2021 NFL Draft (the final order won't be known until after the late game Sunday), there will be plenty of time to speculate about the future.


In the short term, the Panthers' offense fell flat again, which isn't altogether surprising considering the way a 5-11 season unfolded.


They've been without Christian McCaffrey most of the year, backup running back Mike Davis was out this week, and the offensive line was kind of a hash, starting its fourth different left tackle this season.


Also, the Saints are heading to the playoffs, so the result was among the expected outcomes as well.


But Bridgewater has opened the door to speculation with a series of rough outings in the second half of the season.


He was far from the only problem Sunday (head coach Matt Rhule won't be happy with the number of big plays allowed by his defense), but he'll definitely be the one that gets the most attention.


TOMMY TIME


Since it was the finale, it was time to have a little fun.


The Panthers got a few snaps for just-promoted quarterback Tommy Stevens, who could become their version of Taysom Hill in the future (or maybe not, who knows?).


Stevens split wide on his first snap but took a direct snap from the shotgun in the second quarter and ran for a first down.


He's done a number of things on the practice squad since arriving, working as a tight end and a quarterback, and has enough athleticism to be an interesting project.