Panthers fall in Buffalo, 31-14

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. — The Panthers did not have a kicker Sunday.

That turned out to be just one of their problems.

The persistent struggles to move the ball — which have plagued them all year — again kept them out of the win column.

The Panthers fell 31-14 to the Bills at Highmark Stadium, their fourth straight loss. That dropped them to 5-9 this season, and they’ve now lost eight of their last 11.

Of course, the breakdowns on offense have been systemic, and widespread.

Already this year, they’ve changed play-callers once, started three quarterbacks, star running back Christian McCaffrey has played in just seven games, and they’ve used 10 different combinations of starting offensive linemen in 14 games.

Those stats override anything particular about the Bills game.

That said, what happened in the below-freezing, windy Western New York conditions was enough to leave anyone cold.

Panthers quarterback Cam Newton was 18-of-39 for 156 yards with a touchdown and an interception. He was sacked four times, including twice by former Panthers defensive end Efe Obada midway through the fourth quarter.

Newton did enough to keep the Panthers within arm’s length as a rusher, and the Panthers mixed it up enough to keep it interesting for much of the afternoon. But the Bills, who lead the league in defense, never seemed threatened when the Panthers dropped back to pass.

Newton did have 71 yards rushing, and there were some other interesting moments when the Panthers had the ball.

His second-quarter touchdown run was set up by a 30-yard end-around by wide receiver Robby Anderson. Tight end Ian Thomas had a massive block on that play, getting them in position for the score.

Newton also led a four-play, 43-yard touchdown drive early in the fourth quarter, connecting with running back Ameer Abdullah on a 23-yard score to make it a 24-14 game.