Panthers wide receiver Adam Thielen made one of the best catches of the season when he used one hand to reel in a 16-yard pass from Bryce Young on a third down in overtime on Sunday, but the result of the next play meant no one was talking about Thielen’s catch after the game.
Buccaneers edge rusher Anthony Nelson stripped Panther running back Chuba Hubbard of the ball after a four-yard gain and the Bucs kicked a game-winning field goal a few plays after recovering the ball. After the game, Thielen was one of many Panthers to speak up in support of Hubbard.
“It’s probably the easiest to not be upset with him because of the way that he works, the way that he puts so much time into this game, his body, his technique,” Thielen said, via the team’s website. “He puts so much in his preparation that there’s a guy that you just say, ‘Hey man, like this is football, the stuff happens. We know your heart; we know what you’re trying to do.’ We love that guy. And it’s because of what he puts in week in, week out, and not one person; I know not one person in this locker room is thinking about him losing us that game. That is the farthest thing from the truth. So, he needs to know that from everyone because he’s been carrying us as a team this whole year. So, obviously, it was so much love for him.”
Hubbard’s accountability for the fumble won’t do anything to lessen the love Thielen and his teammates have for him. Hubbard said “all I can do is own it” and said it’s “as simple” as him needing to do more to secure the ball in that spot. That won’t change the outcome, but it explains why no one was raking Hubbard over the coals in the wake of the loss.
