Chris Tabor tells Panthers players to play for "your name and your tape"
It's easy for fans and the media to say an NFL team has nothing to play for when it's out of playoff position, but that's not really the case for the players on the field. They're playing for future jobs and future contracts, for their pride in their work, and for the teammates they've formed a bond with even in a losing season.
So while Panthers interim head coach Chris Tabor is coaching the team with the worst record in the NFL as they head into Sunday's season finale against the Buccaneers, he's reminding them that they do, in fact, have plenty to play for.
“Like I mentioned earlier in the week, you have your name on it,” Tabor said, via USA Today. “And that’s a lot right there. At the end of the day, your name and your tape—those are important things. I think people, when there’s change that’s gonna take place, people are gonna come in—and as I’ve always stated and I’ve stated it to the players—they’re gonna look at: How did you play those last games when the adversity was at its highest? And I always say, that says a lot about a player . . . and a coach. So, we got a lot at stake on this game.”
The Buccaneers are playing for the NFC South title, but they're only 4.5-point favorites at Carolina on Sunday. That point spread shows that, while the Bucs are the better team, the Panthers players absolutely have something to play for.
