Ron Rivera had the saddest excuse for the Panthers kicking a field goal down 26

The Carolina Panthers dropped their second straight game with a 29-3 loss to the suddenly formidable Atlanta Falcons on Sunday.

And judging from head coach Ron Rivera’s postgame comments, the Panthers had given up on the game long before the clock hit zeros.

Rivera was asked specifically about an odd decision to attempt a 31-yard field goal while trailing by 26 points near the start of the fourth quarter. Obviously, it would have taken a miraculous effort to come back from a 26-point deficit, but by kicking the field goal, Rivera signaled that they had essentially decided to not even bother.

He told reporters that the Panthers kicked that field goal because they didn’t want to get shut out at home.

Yeah, really.

Sure, getting blown out at home by a 3-7 division rival is embarrassing, but you know what’s more embarrassing? Letting the possibility of getting shut out impede your ability to make rational football decisions.

The Falcons don’t exactly have the best track record with holding late leads, but that field goal was enough to make that fourth quarter light work for Atlanta.

And after all that, the Panthers still lost by 26 points. A 29-3 loss and a 26-0 loss are the same thing, Ron.