From Friday afternoon’s media availability after the 28-10 loss to the Saints.

[accordion_item title=”Head coach Ron Rivera” open=”true”]Was the moment too big for David Foucault?:

“Situations were. That would be a better way to put it, … The tough thing for him is adapting to our game. In Canadian-style football, in college, the defensive lineman lines up one-yard off the football. So understanding that, getting used to that guys are on you immediately is part of what he’s having to learn. He’s getting better. I mean that. I think the future is very bright for him.”

On the makeshift offensive line and its effect on Cam Newton’s play:

“Those guys up front are doing the best they can as well. Part of it, he’s got to feel comfortable and take the easy things, the quick throws, the dumps. At times, it’s part of his development. He’s got to get back to his comfort zone.”

Is the line to blame for Newton’s sloppy footwork the last few weeks?:

“That could be. The pocket could be pushed. Some of it could be him trying to make a play. He could be getting ready to throw a ball one way, and all of a sudden he sees something open up and then he turns without really shifting or turning his body, moving his hips, squaring his shoulders to his target, stuff like that. It’s him trying to make plays for us.”

On the lack of targets for Greg Olsen the last two weeks:

“There’s a situation where he’s got to work his way into the routes now. He’s got to help with the protection. So the different things we do he’s not in the route immediately. So that takes away from his visibility to the quarterback. Instead of being downfield where he’s normally is, now he’s working off the chip. Sometimes coming off the chip you get caught up in it and are late coming out. It’s been hard on him, too. Greg is playmaker for us. He’s one we have to get the ball in his hands as well.”

Has a pass-heavy offense gotten away from the Panthers’ run-first identity?:

“I think so. That’s a fair statement just because of the fact we’ve had those kinds of injuries. Now we’re getting (DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart) back, and we have to find ways to put it in their hands now. It’s very obvious. It’s very clear-cut.”

On benching Antoine Cason at the end of the first half:

“He wasn’t having success, and you’d like to give somebody else an opportunity to see how they do. I think if Cason would have held his water a little bit longer, he could have made a play on the ball. He was in position. He was right underneath the guy where he needed to be. What you’d like to see is him get his head around and play the ball. I think the sensation of feeling like he was out of position … he didn’t go through his technique like he should.”

[accordion_item title=”Cornerback Antoine Cason” open=”true”]On the Saints’ two-minute drill at the end of the first half, when his receivers were targeted a handful of times:

“The communication wasn’t really that good. I was all the way on the other side, I was trying to get situation and get different things going, and there was a lot of things happening. I take responsibility, it took my mind away from really what the situation was, … And now it looks bad on me because it’s me out there.”

What were some of the communication issues?:

“I’m on the other side, a play happens, I’m looking over, I’m trying to get a call. The coaches are trying to figure out what call to make. They make a call, I can’t see. Of course it happened at the shittiest time possible, and I’m a part of it.”

On the pass interference call against him that set up the Saints’ second touchdown:

“I got my head back around. I didn’t feel like I touched him. It goes back to one of those things where it’s the end of the game — do you call a touch foul or not?”

On coaches’ decision to bench him for Melvin White for the second half:

“It looks really bad on me, and that’s upsetting. I don’t appreciate that at all.”

[accordion_item title=”Cornerback Josh Norman” open=”true”]On the coaches benching Cason:

“It happens, man. It happens. It happened to me, and it’s the worst feeling. Because you look at it on film and you’re like, ok, ‘he’s trash.’ But it’s not the case at all, man. It looks so bad, but [as cornerbacks] we know all the blame comes down to us. But it’s like water off a duck’s backs. Just let it slide off.”

[accordion_item title=”Offensive tackle David Foucault” open=”true”]Were some of the moments Thursday night too big for you?:

“Just the first play, but after that I got used to it. At the end, I was a little bit tired. But that’s my first game when I will get some experience like this.”

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