How worried should the Panthers be about their playoff hopes after getting whupped by the Steelers?

In my expert opinion, losing by 31 points is bad.

The Panthers got absolutely dismantled on Thursday night by the Pittsburgh Steelers, losing by a score of 52-21. Even though the loss was jarring and embarrassing, the Steelers are a good team. The Panthers still haven’t won a game at Heinz Field in their team history, but this loss shouldn’t change the outlook on their season.

Even Cam Newton isn’t too worried about the amount of points they lost by — they just need to get better and learn from getting “whupped.”

Panthers head coach Ron Rivera shared the same sentiments as his quarterback saying “this shit happens” and there’s no use in dwelling on such a bad loss.

Three-score losses in the NFL are rare (unless you’re the 2018 Buffalo Bills, who have already lost three games by that margin) and teams that lose by that margin usually aren’t bound for the playoffs. But not all is lost when it comes to the Panthers’ playoff hopes.

So far, there have been 141 games since 2014 that have a point differential of 24 or more points. 21 of the teams that were on the losing end wound up making the playoffs. Via Pro Football Reference:

That includes the 2014 game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the New England Patriots — a game that the Chiefs won 41-14. After that game, people were wondering if Tom Brady was washed and a reporter even asked Bill Belichick if it was time to switch to Jimmy Garoppolo.

Well, they won the Super Bowl that year and won it again two years later. Oh, and Tom Brady is still out here playing like one of the best quarterbacks in the league. Taking a big loss like that doesn’t mean a season is doomed by any stretch.

In 2014, the Panthers were the recipients of two blowout losses and they still made the playoffs. They lost to the Baltimore Ravens by a score of 38-10 and got beat down by the Philadelphia Eagles 45-21.

The Panthers went 7-8-1 that season and somehow finished in first place in the NFC South. They won their Wild Card matchup against the Arizona Cardinals before losing to the Seattle Seahawks in the Divisional Round.

This Panthers team is better than the 2014 team — and won’t be able to win the NFC South with a losing record. Even with the loss to Pittsburgh, they still control their own destiny at 6-3. As things sit today, the Panthers are the fifth seed in the NFC.

Carolina just has a few things to clean up to get back where they need to be — mainly protecting Cam Newton and not letting him get sacked five times like he was against the Steelers. Maybe a long rest before their game against the Detroit Lions will help them get back on the right track.