Black and Blue Review

Black and Blue Review

Carolina Panthers News and Coverage for the Digital Age

Quotes To Note: Johnson’s Injury, Norman’s INT, Olsen’s Spike

Panthers Coach Ron Rivera

RE: Defense's struggles against Luke McCown
"The very first two drives, we struggled with the underneath stuff. We probably got a little too much depth and they were able to dig and dive. That was really what happened in terms of that. Sean McDermott and Steve Wilks made some adjustments with the passing defense and we were able to stop it. Then we got a little soft in the last quarter. We could have been more aggressive but again, we didn’t have certain guys on the field."

RE: Concern about Charles Johnson's injury?
"Yes. Yes. I’m just going to tell you that right now. Some of the other guys, not as much but Charles most certainly."

RE: Thomas Davis' injury a stinger?
"No. Again, I don’t know that for a fact. The only one I really do know about it is Charles’."

Panthers CB Josh Norman

RE: His interception
"I was getting doubled and moved all day so I was high, and I maintained my discipline so once I saw it I chopped my feet and kept running high. I kinda knew that God was going to give me wings to fly. Whenever I got up there and saw the ball, he lifted me up and I went to go get it."

Saints Coach Sean Payton

RE: Norman's interception
"He’s playing great. Just having seen his maturation through the years. He’s got real good hips. The play earlier there was a similar type of route progression and I think I’m sure Luke [McCown] felt like there was a little bit of a trap zone and he might catch him squatting, but it was a real good break by him. He high pointed it and made a good play."

Saints QB Luke McCown

RE: Norman's interception
"It was the exact same play that we had ran one, maybe two plays earlier to Colston on the right side. And Josh Norman, their young corner, he’s a good player. And he’s aggressive. And he reads well. And we felt like we had something on him that with a particular concept we could have gotten him to settle his feet and Cooksie (Brandin Cooks) would run right by him. That’s what happened the play before. I threw it to Colston. I ran over to Sean (Payton), and I said we need to call that again. And he said, ok call it. And they ended up switching, still a pressure look, same thing we got a couple plays before but Josh made a good play. I think he recognized the area."

Panthers QB Cam Newton

RE: Josh Norman’s interception
"I can say that this is his second amazing pick in similar fashion. We had one time now that the season has started that we get the opportunity to go against the starting defense, and that is in two minute. This particular week, we were driving, driving, driving. I take pride in making practice, as well as coaches, stay on us to always make practice gamelike. We were driving and trying to make points for two minute, and it’s like fifteen or twelve seconds, so we have two opportunities to go to the end zone with no timeouts left. I throw a fade to a receiver and Josh (Norman) makes a play just like that, so I am ticked off. I am like, well. I think it is safe to say that I gave him his preparation for (Luke) McCown trying to throw the fade to him. It is incredible to see practice carry over to the game."

RE: Discussion with referee Ed Hochuli during second half
"I was really baffled by what was said to me. I was rolling out, trying to string out the play to create some type of an opportunity to get a completion. The defensive linemen kind of hit me. It was close, right on the cusp of a late hit. I don’t know. The response that I got was, ‘Cam, you’re not old enough to get that call’. I was looking at him like Jesus; I didn’t think that you had to have seniority to get a personal foul or anything like that. You all have to be accountable. It is one thing to be frustrated in a situation where you see a personal foul on an opposing quarterback get called. For me, when it is something around that same range and for that flag not to be called, I am ticked off really. One, did he miss the call? If he would’ve said that he missed the call, then that is one thing. But for his response to be what it was and I am not old enough to get that call, geez. Heaven forbid he gets any rookies. They are going to have a long day, man."

Panthers TE Greg Olsen

RE: Devin Funchess’ catch in the fourth quarter
"I told them then and on the sideline after, I said, 'That was the play of the game.' We needed to go down, they just went down and scored, we needed to answer the drive. We were up four, so a touchdown would’ve been great. He made a great contested catch, took a big hit, got the 15-yard penalty. It’s a 25 to 30-yard play. I told him that’s the play of the game. Those plays in crunchtime and in the fourth quarter you just have to hang on and take those shots. That’s what were paid to do. For a young kid to come in, that was critical. I think he only caught that ball, but that was as big of a play that we had."

Panthers C Ryan Kalil

RE: Greg Olsen’s spike in the end zone
"Olsen is kind of anti-celebration. He likes to point that out guys around the league doing that kind of stuff, so it’s good to kind of bust his chops when he does it. But he was obviously a little upset about the penalties that were called on him, which I think he was rightfully upset, but it’s always fun to bust his chops."

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