Lost in two straight Panthers victories was the overlooked absence of one of Carolina's finest defensive players.
Now the Panthers must move ahead for the remainder of the season without defensive lineman Kawann Short.
After suffering a partially torn rotator cuff in Week 2, Short has been placed on injured reserve after missing the last two games, the team announced on Tuesday.
"KK has done everything he could possibly do to try to play these past two games," general manager Marty Hurney said in a statement, "but we have made the decision that it is in the best long-term interest of KK and the team that he undergo surgery to fix his shoulder and focus on his rehab and get ready for next season."
Short is a two-time Pro Bowl selection.
In his seventh season, Short has been a centerpiece of the Panthers' defense and it showed when he signed a five-year, $80.5 million deal in 2017.
Short had four tackles, one for a loss, and three quarterback hits over the first two weeks of the season before sustaining his injury in a defeat to the Buccaneers.
He's another Pro Bowler lost to injury for the Panthers, who placed kicker Graham Gano on injured reserve before the season and are dealing with quarterback Cam Newton having also missed the last two games with a foot injury.
In Gano's absence, kicker Joey Slye has been stellar and Kyle Allen has filled in for Newton by guiding the Panthers (2-2) to consecutive victories. With Short gone, Dontari Poe's role has increased as he's tallied four tackles (one for a loss) over the last two games. The presence of former first-round pick Vernon Butler, who did not play the first two weeks but has since Short was injured, has also been a factor.
Thus far, the Panthers' defense has been stellar in Short's absence, but now it must do so for the long haul.
