In a week where the Tampa Bay Buccaneers came out and sent a message with a dominating win over the Philadelphia Eagles, one of their NFC South rivals went right back to doing what they do best: losing games.
Things hadn't gone well for the Carolina Panthers to begin their season, as they opted to bench their supposed franchise quarterback after only two games this year, instead going with former Bengals quarterback Andy Dalton as their starter for the foreseeable future. No longer would it be Bryce Young. Instead, Dalton would get a chance to play his former team in Week 4.
The Carolina Panthers' short-lived celebration following their Week 3 win came to a halt when they were beaten by the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 4 by a score of 34-24.
Any time the Bucs win and Panthers lose, it's almost as if Tampa Bay won twice on the day.
After last week's victory, Carolina fans were probably feeling a lot better about themselves. It's funny how just one win can flip the script on the fan base's outlook.
But the celebrating stopped after that lone win for the Panthers, because they ran into a motivated Bengals team which wasn't about to drop to 0-4 on the season. Instead, the Bengals came away with a 34-24 victory after watching a well-balanced offensive attack have some success against Carolina.
In this one, it was Chase Brown who stood out the most, as he rushed 15 times for 80 yards and scored two touchdowns while also hauling in a couple of passes for 12 yards. It was a phenomenal outing for the former Illini star but, after the game, one Panthers fan took out their frustration on the game's top performer.
Video was obtained of a fan dumping their drink on Brown just before he entered the tunnel after the game.
A fan in Carolina dumps a drink on Chase Brown after had his first multi-TD game of his career. Uncalled for. #Bengals @WCPO pic.twitter.com/bibdCOa2c0
— Marshall Kramsky (@marshallkramsky) September 29, 2024
In a world where we see several examples of poor sportsmanship on a regular basis, this one might just take the cake for Week 4.
What a classless move from a disgruntled Panthers fan.
The positive, here, was watching how Brown did not allow the act to bother him. Brown continued walking into the tunnel as if nothing even happened.
That's the mark of a true professional.
When he could have responded to the fan, Brown chose not to. Instead, he was likely focused on celebrating the victory with his teammates.
Take notes, Carolina fans. That's called taking the high road.
Ya'll should try it sometime.