Sports blog information from USA TODAY.
Derrick Brown was a big stud in a season full of duds for the 2023 Carolina Panthers.
Who shined and who struggled in the final game of the season?
Here are the studs and duds from the Carolina Panthers’ 9-0 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers:
Jaycee Horn is up and expected to play in the Panthers’ regular-season finale.
If the Carolina Panthers need a third walk-off field goal to capture their third win of the 2023 campaign, it won’t be coming from the foot of Eddy Piñeiro.
As expected, Piñeiro (hamstring) will not play in today’s regular-season finale against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Instead, it’ll be kicker Matthew Wright, who signed to the team’s practice squad this past Tuesday, in uniform for the Panthers this afternoon.
Wright spent part of the summer with Carolina and kicked in all three preseason contests. Over his three-year NFL career, the 27-year old has booted through 40 of his 46 field goal attempts and 35 of his 37 extra point tries.
Also up is cornerback Jaycee Horn, who did not play in last week’s loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars despite being ruled as active. Per Joe Person of The Athletic, Horn—who has played in 21 of a possible 50 games since being drafted with the eighth overall pick in 2021—is expected to play.
Here’s who won’t be active for the Panthers to close out the season:
And as for the visiting Buccaneers:
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Between his last two games against the Panthers, Buccaneers WR Mike Evans has totaled 17 receptions for 369 yards and four touchdowns.
Can the 2-14 Carolina Panthers match up against the playoff-hopeful Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Sunday’s regular-season finale?
Here are three key battles that’ll help determine who comes out on top, and possibly who comes out with the NFC South, in Week 18:
Trading up to draft OLB DJ Johnson was a head-scratcher back in April. It’s even more questionable now.
How did the New Year’s Eve looks pan out for the Carolina Panthers?
Here are our top takeaways from the snap counts in yesterday’s 26-0 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
LT Ikem Ekwonu, LB Frankie Luvu and CB Jaycee Horn are all active for the Panthers on New Year’s Eve.
Entering Week 17 of his third NFL season, Carolina Panthers cornerback Jaycee Horn missed a combined 28 of a possible 49 games due to injury. But, as it turns out, a bothersome toe will not result in No. 29.
Horn, who was listed as questionable for the New Year’s Eve showdown against the Jacksonville Jaguars, is officially active. After going down as a non-participant for practice sessions on both Wednesday and Thursday, the former eighth overall pick returned in a limited capacity on Friday.
He should be joined on the field today by left tackle Ikem Ekwonu (quad) and linebacker Frankie Luvu (foot)—both of whom were also classified as questionable for the contest.
Here’s who won’t be in uniform for the Panthers:
And as for the host Jaguars, who will be without a pretty important player under center:
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Panthers WR DJ Chark is swimming into familiar waters fresh off his best outing of the season.
How will Sunday’s catfight between the Carolina Panthers and Jacksonville Jaguars pan out?
Here are four battles within in the fight that’ll help decide who comes out on top:
The Panthers have listed LT Ikem Ekwonu, LB Frankie Luvu and CB Jaycee Horn as questionable for their Week 17 matchup against the Jaguars.
The Carolina Panthers couldn’t get a single full practice out of a pretty important trio of starters this week. But interim head coach Chris Tabor seems positive about their statuses entering the weekend.
Left tackle Ikem Ekwonu (foot), linebacker Frankie Luvu (quadriceps) and cornerback Jaycee Horn (toe) have all been listed as questionable for Sunday’s matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Tabor, after Friday’s practice, was asked if he feels good about their chances of playing.
“I do,” he replied. “They took some reps today, so we’ll see where it’s at come game day.”
Cornerback Troy Hill, however, won’t be in uniform at EverBank Stadium. The team’s top slot defender has been ruled out due to a concussion.
Here is the final injury report for Week 17:
| Injury | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Game status | |
| CB Troy Hill | Concussion | DNP | DNP | DNP | Out |
| OT Ikem Ekwonu | Foot | DNP | Limited | Limited | Questionable |
| CB Jaycee Horn | Toe | DNP | DNP | Limited | Questionable |
| LB Frankie Luvu | Quad | DNP | Limited | Limited | Questionable |
| WR Adam Thielen | Rest | DNP | – | ||
| RB Chuba Hubbard | Hamstring | Limited | Limited | Full | – |
| CB Donte Jackson | Ankle | Limited | Full | Full | – |
| G Cade Mays | Ankle | Full | Full | Full | – |
| RB Miles Sanders | Toe | Full | Full | Full | – |
| TE Tommy Tremble | Back | Full | Full | Full | – |
| OLB Marquis Haynes Sr. | Back | DNP | Limited | Full | Questionable |
| OT Taylor Moton | Knee/rest | DNP | Limited | Full | – |
| OLB Claudin Cherelus | Knee | Limited | Full | Full | – |
| TE Stephen Sullivan | Wrist | Full | Full | Full | – |
| G Nash Jensen | Back | Full | Full | – |
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Can the Jaguars get their act together to stop Bryce Young and co.?
Who would have thought the 2-13 Carolina Panthers would be on the other side of one of the Jacksonville Jaguars’ most important games of the season?
If the Jaguars lose, the league would be shocked, but the Panthers are playing them at the right time. Jacksonville has gone on a four-game losing streak that has brought the AFC South leader from 8-3 to 8-7.
Most importantly, a Jacksonville loss and an Indianapolis or Houston victory would see the Jaguars fall out of the division lead.
Carolina isn’t the most dangerous team, but it’s played its best football over the past couple weeks. Here are five Panthers players who could cause problems for the Jaguars in Week 17:
After being sidelined for yesterday’s practice, Panthers CB Jaycee Horn (toe) went down with another DNP on Thursday.
After dealing with a handful of absences yesterday, the Carolina Panthers got some of their players back for this afternoon’s practice. But Jaycee Horn was not one of them.
The starting cornerback, who is listed with a toe injury, did not participate for a second straight outing. Horn missed 10 games this season due to a hamstring injury he sustained in Week 1.
Fellow corner Troy Hill also remained sidelined while dealing with a concussion.
Here’s the full injury report from Thursday:
| Injury | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Game status | |
| CB Troy Hill | Concussion | DNP | DNP | ||
| OT Ikem Ekwonu | Foot | DNP | Limited | ||
| CB Jaycee Horn | Toe | DNP | DNP | ||
| LB Frankie Luvu | Quad | DNP | Limited | ||
| WR Adam Thielen | Rest | DNP | |||
| RB Chuba Hubbard | Hamstring | Limited | Limited | ||
| CB Donte Jackson | Ankle | Limited | Full | ||
| G Cade Mays | Ankle | Full | Full | ||
| RB Miles Sanders | Toe | Full | Full | ||
| TE Tommy Tremble | Back | Full | Full | ||
| OLB Marquis Haynes Sr. | Back | DNP | Limited | ||
| OT Taylor Moton | Knee/rest | DNP | Limited | ||
| OLB Claudin Cherelus | Knee | Limited | Full | ||
| TE Stephen Sullivan | Wrist | Full | Full | ||
| G Nash Jensen | Back | Full |
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A handful of Panthers starters did not participate in the opening practice of Week 17.
We’re now in Week 17, and the Carolina Panthers’ initial injury report certainly shows it.
A total of seven players were kept out of the first official practice ahead of Sunday’s matchup against the Jacksonville Jaguars. Among those who were absent included left tackle Ikem Ekwonu (foot), right tackle Taylor Moton (knee/rest), wide receiver Adam Thielen (rest), linebacker Frankie Luvu (quad) and cornerback Jaycee Horn (toe).
Also out was cornerback Troy Hill, who is currently in concussion protocol after exiting the Week 16 loss to the Green Bay Packers.
Here’s the full injury report from Wednesday:
| Injury | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Game status | |
| CB Troy Hill | Concussion | DNP | |||
| OT Ikem Ekwonu | Foot | DNP | |||
| CB Jaycee Horn | Toe | DNP | |||
| LB Frankie Luvu | Quad | DNP | |||
| WR Adam Thielen | Rest | DNP | |||
| RB Chuba Hubbard | Hamstring | Limited | |||
| CB Donte Jackson | Ankle | Limited | |||
| G Cade Mays | Ankle | Full | |||
| RB Miles Sanders | Toe | Full | |||
| TE Tommy Tremble | Back | Full | |||
| OLB Marquis Haynes Sr. | Back | DNP | |||
| OT Taylor Moton | Knee/rest | DNP | |||
| OLB Claudin Cherelus | Knee | Limited | |||
| TE Stephen Sullivan | Wrist | Full |
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