CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Carolina Panthers right tackle Taylor Moton, in his second game back after returning from offseason blood clot treatment, suffered a fractured fibula in Sunday's 43-13 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and will be out indefinitely.
"TMo is going to be out for a while," Panthers coach Dave Canales said after the game.
Moton pounded the turf while holding his left leg following a Yaya Diaby sack on quarterback Bryce Young with 14:13 left in the third quarter. Trainers immediately ran over to Moton, examined his leg and put him on the back of a cart, which took him into the home tunnel.
First-round pick Monroe Freeling, who had filled in for Moton during the first four games of the season, immediately came in to play right tackle. Left tackle Rasheed Walker gave up a sack to Diaby on the next play.
The Panthers gave up five total sacks, including one that led to a defensive touchdown off a sack-fumble by Young. According to NFL Next Gen Stats, Carolina allowed 21 total QB pressures to the Buccaneers, who limited the Panthers' offense to 266 net yards.
"We just weren't able to execute our game plan, and I think that was the thing that was going to lead us to success," tight end Tommy Tremble said. "Tampa did a great job, and a lot of self-inflicted wounds kind of caused the downfall of it [for us]. And so, it's one of those things that if you can't take care of the ball, can't do the right things, it's hard to win that way."
Moton, 32, has played just seven quarters this season. He has been the Panthers' starting right tackle for the past nine seasons. The 2017 second-round pick is the longest tenured non-specialist on the Panthers' roster.
Moton is signed through the 2028 season. However, 2027 is the final season on his contract with guaranteed money.
"I feel for [Moton] so much," Young said. "Such a great human being -- such a great guy. He's so much of the glue for us in the locker room. Obviously, he's been with us for long; that veteran presence means so much. He worked so hard to get back to where it was. It was obviously killing him not being able to be out there to start the year ... and [I'm] just praying for him. He's as resilient as they come."
Moton's ailment added injury to insult, as Carolina failed to show up in all three phases of the game.
Young turned the ball over three times -- including two interceptions -- and was pulled for backup Kenny Pickett in the fourth quarter with the game out of hand. The defense gave up 258 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns, while Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield threw the ball only 11 times for seven completions, 64 yards and a touchdown. Special teams made several gaffes, including a muffed punt and a blocked extra point that was returned to the opposing end zone for a 2-point score for Tampa Bay.
"It doesn't feel great, obviously," Young said. "We're all competitors. Losing, especially losing like that, hurts."
The Buccaneers scored 22 points off miscues -- 19 in the first half alone -- which helped Tampa Bay lean on its running game to close out the lopsided NFC South battle.
"I mean, it's a shock for me to be able to move on from it, because literally I've never been a part of a half of football like that," Canales said. "And to experience it in all phases -- blocked kick, sack-fumble, interception, a dropped punt -- and then on the defensive side really just not getting off the field in different ways. Shoot, it was just like, I don't know, the moment -- it just felt so crazy and so egregiously different than the ball we're used to playing that, again, I'm going to look at the things and see what was technical about it, what the execution was, and look at all those things."
The Panthers won't have much time to dwell on the blowout home loss as they'll travel to Green Bay to face the Packers on "Thursday Night Football" in Week 8. Carolina remains at the top of the division at 3-3, but the loss to Tampa Bay makes the Panthers 1-1 against the NFC South on the season.
"We don't have the luxury to lick our wounds here," Young said. "We play Thursday. You've got to turn the page. We don't have a choice. So, obviously, learn from it, watch the film, grow, and then we've got to move right on to Green Bay."
