Collier’s Magazine pulled up to St. Louis in 1953 to interview a man who was beating the brakes off of Father Time with every fastball, every curveball, and change-up that left his right hand.
Satchel Paige was 47 years old and was dealing in the MLB. The Negro League legend finished the season with a respectable 3-4 record in his seven starts and a 4.79 ERA for the Browns. When asked what was in his fountain of youth, ‘Satch didn’t tell the reporter anything revolutionary. At a lanky 6’3, the only”PED’s” he was on were reps and unconventional training consisting of playing multiple games in a day and throwing at a variety of targets. All ‘Satch had for that reporter was advice.
“Avoid running at all times,” he shared with Collier. “And don’t look back—-something might be gaining on you.”
Seventy-two years later, that principle, Paige’s mantra, should reverberate in the hearts of the Carolina Panthers.
“Don’t look back! Don’t you dare look back with the division and the playoffs in front of you.”
Carolina (8-7) once again controls their own destiny after Lathan Ransom picked off Baker Mayfield with 42 seconds left at the Panthers’ 35- yard lineto beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 23-20 at the ‘Bank.
The Panthers are now a game ahead of the Bucs and can clinch the NFC South, and their first playoff berth since 2017 with a win against Seattle and a Bucs’ loss against Miami. If both teams win, lose, or if the Panthers lose and the Bucs win in Week 17, the division and the playoffs will come down to the season finale in Tampa. Here’s more from Week 16.
Reaping Another Harvest
Bryce Young played a clean game, completing 21 of his 32 passes for 191 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions. These low-yardage numbers are on brand for him, but it doesn’t matter when you have drives that close games. Young came up clutch once again as he engineered the 12th game-winning drive of his career. He threw a 34-yard strike to Jalen Coker to put the Panthers in field goal range to set up a Ryan Fitzgerald 48-yard field goal.
In this situation, getting that touchdown would have been ideal. However, in a game of this magnitude, it would be insane to leave points on the table. With division and playoff implications on the line, you take the points no matter how they come and trust the defense to get a stop and an extra possession.
Flipping Off The Narrative
Going into Week 16, national media once again brought up Mayfield’s exit. The narrative is that the Panthers cut him and he’s never forgotten it. The Bucs believe Mayfield is always hyped to play the Panthers for that reason. The reality is that Mayfield asked for his release in 2022, and the Panthers granted it. The reality is also that the Panthers’ defense held their former QB in check, holding him to 145 yards passing, one touchdown and one interception. Mayfield scrambled for 49 yards, but other than that he was contained.
Under The Radar
Ransom’s interception may be one of the main storylines of the game. However, there was another rookie who came up just as big. Rookie linebacker Nic Scorouton was a disruptive force Sunday as he covered screens and chased down Tampa’s backs. He shared a sack with Derrick Brown on a pivotal third down that made the Bucs settle for a field goal. Scorouton trails only Brown for the team lead in sacks. The second rounder from Texas A&M has the opportunity to join Julius Peppers as the only rookies in franchise history to lead the team in sacks.
Never Scared
Mike Jackson is from rural Alabama and the ‘U’, and he’d tell you that he fears no one and that his heart doesn’t pump Kool-Aid. So when Mayfield was chirping, Jackson kept that same energy.
“Sometimes you gotta show people that you’re not scared of them,” he said after the game.
When asked if he was going into the game planning to chirp, Jackson made it clear that he’s not a trash talker, but he won’t back down.
“He [Baker Mayfield] felt like maybe I was scared. I don’t know what he thought, but that’s what I was on.”
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