When the Panthers drove 80 yards for a touchdown after taking the opening kickoff last week in New Orleans, it was a sign of things to come for an offense that scored four more touchdowns.

When the Panthers settled for a field goal after taking the opening kickoff against the Bucs, it was a sign of things to come for an offense that attempted four more field goals.

Sunday’s most-stunning stat had to be this: Despite finishing all 11 of their drives inside Tampa Bay territory, the Panthers managed to score just 19 points.

“We can’t let the win cover all of that stuff up. That’s going to get you beat down the road,” tight end Greg Olsen admitted.

“It was more so the penalties in the red zone, and then we had that one turnover. But the penalties early, I jumped off sides, one that backed us up. We got a holding call and another one down in there. We can’t do that. It’s hard to get first downs in the red zone when you have to back up five yards.”

The Panthers began their promising first drive with first downs on their first four plays. Four plays later, they had a first-and-goal from the Bucs’ 7.

After guard Andrew Norwell jumped offside, a read-option handoff to running back Jonathan Stewart gained one yard on first-and-goal from the 12. Anderson then threw incompletions to tight end Ed Dickson and receiver Philly Brown before Graham Gano trotted out to kick a 29-yard field goal.

Not including an Anderson kneel down on the final play of the game from the Bucs’ 37, the Panthers’ final nine drives went like this:

• Start: CAR 18, Finish: TB 31, Result: Field Goal
• Start: CAR 37, Finish: TB 33, Result: Missed FG
• Start: CAR 12, Finish: TB 20, Result: Field Goal
• Start: TB 4, Finish: TB 2, Result: Touchdown
• Start: CAR 36, Finish: TB 3, Result: Fumble
• Start: TB 44, Finish: TB 38, Result: Punt
• Start: TB 48, Finish: TB 39, Result: Punt
• Start: CAR 27, Finish: TB 27, Result: Field Goal
• Start: CAR 22, Finish: TB 47, Result: Punt

“We had to kick field goals, and that is disappointing. You get the ball in positions to score touchdowns, you have to,” Rivera said. “We can’t put ourselves behind the eight ball when we get to the red zone. We can’t have penalties. We can’t have illegal procedures. We can’t have holding. One of the things that we have to correct and get those things corrected if we want to give ourselves a chance. You can’t kick field goals in this league and expect to win consistently.”

The Panthers’ red-zone problems have been a talking point all year, but one underrated issue has been a lack of looks to Jerricho Cotchery. Not only did he catch a career-best 10 touchdowns with the Steelers last season, but all 10 of those scores came inside the red zone.

Before Sunday, the Panthers had targeted Cotchery just three times in the red zone. Two of those were completed. None were for touchdowns. The fourth time was the charm.

On second-and-goal from the Bucs’ 2 early in the third quarter, Anderson fired a dart to Cotchery, who snagged his first touchdown as a Panther.

“It felt good, just like I remembered it,” Cotchery said with a laugh. “But it was a play that we needed at that point in time, and it just felt good to make a play for our team.”

Cotchery tied his season high with five receptions. In two games with Anderson, he’s caught all nine of his targets.

While Anderson has obvious rapports with Cotchery, Olsen, and Kelvin Benjamin, he’s just keeping the starting seat warm for Newton’s return. There’s a good chance that will be against the Browns.

Newton, who on Sunday played coach and cheerleader, appeared to be moving better than he was while he watched Friday’s walkthrough. The two transverse fractures he suffered in Tuesday’s car accident will be sore for at least a couple more weeks, but he can’t make them worse by playing.

If he can deal with the pain — Newton doesn’t like needles, so painkillers aren’t an option — he’ll likely start this week. But nothing has been decided yet.

“Cam Newton’s status will be determined tomorrow, Tuesday and Wednesday as we go further in the week,” Rivera said. “I’m not making any decisions until I get the opportunity to watch him on the football field, listen to what the trainers and doctors have to tell me, and then we will make our decision. But to make any judgment right now would be premature and would be a mistake.”

Newton hasn’t thrown the ball since his accident, and Rivera proved in Week 1 that he’s not afraid to sit his most important player even if he begs to play. But with a playoff spot possibly two wins away, there’s no question Newton will do whatever he can to make it back for the Browns.

“I know what kind of person he is, what kind of competitor he is. If he can play, if he feels like he can play and go out there and win football games for us, he’ll do that,” Anderson said.

Bucs quarterback Josh McCown didn’t put up big numbers in the first half, but he wasn’t forced into any mistakes, either. The former Panther was 6-of-10 for 68 yards and a touchdown at halftime. But then Carolina dialed up more pressure.

“We blitzed more. In the second half, we put more pressure on them. When you put a lot of pressure on people, sometimes they react to it,” defensive end Mario Addison said. “I’m glad [defensive coordinator] Sean McDermott put more of those plays in there and we could pressure them.”

After a first half without a sack or official quarterback hit, the Panthers had three sacks and five quarterbacks hits in the second.

Defensive end Charles Johnson was especially active. Of McCown’s first four passes in the third quarter, Johnson had good pressure on three incompletions, and he combined with Addison for a strip-sack that set the Panthers up for the go-ahead touchdown.

“I’m just trying to max out, end the season strong,” Johnson said. “Guys look up, they want me to get pressure, and I’m trying to do the best I can.”

When asked if the Panthers would celebrate with a ‘Victory Monday,’ Johnson quickly answered, “Nah. We’re too close in the season to be having all that.”

Players across the NFL are often off on the Monday after a win, but the Panthers are eschewing the treat for the second straight week.

If they were 10-4, it would likely be a different story. But at 5-8-1, and with what had appeared to be an unlikely playoff spot now in their sights, the Panthers need to get in as much work as possible.

“I like it,” Cotchery said. “We have some younger guys that need to be in here to work, and all the veterans are going to be in here leading.”