There already was a ton of intrigue surrounding the Carolina Panthers’ “Monday Night Football” game, given how infrequently they play in prime time and the presence of a certain running back on the other sideline.
Then the Tampa Bay Buccaneers lost to the L.A. Rams on Sunday – and lost Baker Mayfield to a shoulder injury in the process – and you can almost feel the buzz in Charlotte from out here on the West Coast.
The Panthers (6-5) can end the night in sole possession of first place in the NFC South, a position they haven’t held this late since Week 17 in their Super Bowl season of 2015. But first there is the matter of beating the San Francisco 49ers, which is no small task.
Over the next several minutes, let’s go over what I’ll be watching at Levi’s Stadium (where the Panthers ended that 2015 season in Super Bowl 50).