As ugly as things got for Dave Canales and the Carolina Panthers in Tampa on Sunday, it could have been worse.

If Tampa Bay Buccaneers coach Todd Bowles hadn’t shown Canales, his former colleagues, some mercy over the holidays, the Panthers would have flown home to Charlotte and given up the most points in team history.

Instead, the Panthers will limp into the final week of the season with a narrow 48-14 loss one of the worst losses in the franchise’s 30 years.

Baker Mayfield, one of the quarterbacks who found great success after leaving Carolina, threw a career-best five touchdown passes to keep the Bucs (9-7) in the hunt for their fourth straight NFC South title hold and remind the Panthers (4-12) the gap in the division remains large.

“We have a lot of work to do,” Canales said. “From a progress perspective, we still have a long way to go.”

While Bryce Young’s development has seen an uptick over the past two months, the Panthers will need to make a big push on defense this offseason to help their second-year quarterback.

The Panthers have given up 496 points this season, the most in franchise history. Only six NFL teams have allowed more than 500 points in NFL history. The Panthers will join that dubious group next weekend in Atlanta, raising real questions about defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero’s future in Charlotte.

Panthers owner David Tepper refused to release Evero from his contract last offseason when he had other options as defensive coordinator. But with Canales inheriting an entire defensive staff that he previously had no connection with, it’s a safe bet that Tepper will demand a change this offseason.

But Canales said Sunday that the defense doesn’t deserve all the blame.

“This affects us all. And I know we lost a lot of yards and points. I understand that,” he said. “But when you hit 22 percent (2 of 9) on third down on offense and they make it that difficult, we’re off the field. The defense has to attack again immediately against a really good offensive attack.

“So it’s about opportunities. We gave them so many opportunities to continue to build their momentum (with) the things they did. So it’s about all of us.”

After Young led the Panthers to their first touchdown, the offense quickly stalled without 1,100-yard rusher Chuba Hubbard. The Panthers went three-hit on their next two series as Canales ran off six straight pass plays, resulting in four incompletions, a Young scramble and a sack.

The empty possession contributed to the Panthers only having the ball for 18 minutes and 49 seconds, the lowest total time of possession in their history. Carolina ran for just 39 yards without Hubbard and Young completed 15 of 28 passes for 203 yards with two TD tosses to Adam Thielen.

That wasn’t a recipe for success against the Bucs, who wore down the turf at Raymond James Stadium by pacing up and down the field in the first half. Tampa Bay scored on its first five possessions before the Panthers finally forced a punt before halftime.

Tampa Bay’s 337 yards in the first half were the most by a Carolina opponent since the New Orleans Saints rushed for 360 yards in the first half of their 45-17 win in the 2011 Finals at the Superdome. During the CBS halftime show, former Pittsburgh Steelers coach Bill Cowher scoffed at the idea that the Panthers would need to get Young another receiver.

“How about some defensive players?” Cowher said.

And while Xavier Legette looks less and less like a No. 1 receiver every week, Cowher was right. This defense needs an injection of talent, whether via free agency or something close to Marty Hurney’s 2020 All-Defensive Draft selection.

Depending on what the NFL’s other bottom picks do in Week 18, the Panthers could move into the top five of the draft. They probably won’t be high enough to snag two-way star Travis Hunter, but they should have a chance at Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter or Michigan defensive lineman Mason Graham.

But there are plenty of other demands on this defense, which was without cornerback Jaycee Horn (hip) and linebacker Josey Jewell (concussion) — two of the Panthers’ tougher, more reliable defenders. Horn’s absence led to former first-rounder Caleb Farley facing off against Mike Evans at the goal line twice, with a predictable result.

Throw in the Bucs’ blocked punt for a touchdown and the Panthers were in danger of giving up the most points in a game in their history. But with the Bucs leading by 34 points, Bowles turned to Mayfield, Evans and Bucky Irving, who ran for 113 yards on 20 carries after rushing for 152 yards in Tampa Bay’s 26-23 overtime win at Bank of America Stadium on Dec. 1 had achieved. Mayfield narrowly missed He finished with a perfect pass rating for the second time in his career. He has to settle for a rating of 153.0, the second highest of his career.

After the Bucs’ backups drove to the Panthers’ 15 after the two-minute warning, No. 2 quarterback Kyle Trask took a knee three times – one of the few times the Bucs were stopped all day.

Still, Tampa Bay rolled up an incredible 551 yards and 33 first downs, giving the aforementioned Saints game the most balls allowed in Panthers history. The 48 points are the sixth most points the Panthers have ever allowed.

“We weren’t good in every way today, just up close – running and passing,” safety Xavier Woods told reporters. “Just when we came here today and were flat from the start from the first to the fourth quarter, we didn’t give ourselves a chance.”

Evero, the former Broncos defensive coordinator, remains highly regarded in league circles. It could be that both sides would benefit from a mutual separation.

But first, the Panthers have to make the short flight to Atlanta, where they probably won’t be treated as rudely by rookie quarterback Michael Penix Jr. as they were by Mayfield. But with how this season went defensively, nothing is certain.

“This is a forward league. I still rate guys. I feel like even I will be judged by how they finish the season,” veteran edge rusher Jadeveon Clowney told reporters. “One week left. I still have to go out and play. They pay us to play a game. And not just play, but try to win it. I will do that.”

(Top photo by Jalen McMillan: Nathan Ray Seebeck / Imagn Images)