CHARLOTTE – The Panthers have had troubles on third downs and in third quarters this season, and that trend continued Sunday.

After taking Tampa Bay to the half tied at 17, things fell apart quickly. The Bucs won the third quarter, 12-0, en route to a 46-23 win and handing the Panthers a fifth straight loss.

Third-Quarter Woes

The Panthers’ defense, which allowed the Bucs to go 6-for-7 on third down in the first half, got a big stop when defensive end Brian Burns tripped up quarterback Tom Brady to hold Tampa Bay to a field goal on its opening drive of the third quarter.

Things went downhill quickly after that.

First, running back Mike Davis came off the field with an injured finger on Carolina’s first drive of the third quarter, one that finished without points again. When