A week and a half ago, Kawann Short had no problem admitting that opposing offenses have focused on slowing him down after his breakout season in 2015.

But for whatever reason — perhaps because the Panthers Pro Bowl defensive tackle doesn’t want to be accused of making excuses — Short clammed up on Monday.

“I don’t know, man,” he said when asked if he’s noticed extra attention.

Ron Rivera had Short’s back, though.

“One of the things that really stood out is how many times he does get doubled,” Carolina’s coach said of Short’s first six games. “How many times when teams are protecting, that (running) back, when he goes through the middle, he’s looking for KK. He’s chipping him on the way out, too. It’s not like he’s getting the free runs that he had last year.”

Which helps explain why Short’s stuck on 1.0 sack after his 11.0 sacks last year destroyed a franchise record for most by a defensive tackle. Yet fellow Pro Bowlers like Philly’s Fletcher Cox (4.0) and L.A.’s Aaron Donald (3.0) also see extra attention, but they’ve managed to outpace Short’s sack total.

“I’m playing good, but the sack number is what everybody sees,” Short said. “But you don’t understand what goes on in the room or the correct individual process that’s going on.

“If I got these 11, 12 sacks last year, everybody’s expecting me to have 18 sacks now. It is what it is.”

There’s no question sacks often get too much attention, but they also get guys paid. This offseason, Short wanted a long-term extension similar to the $17 million-per-year deal Cox landed with the Eagles. But when the Panthers weren’t willing to go much higher than $15 million, Short decided to bet on himself.

So as he plays out the final year of his rookie deal, Short’s making $1.07 million. And while he claims he’s not worried about how his stats will affect his next contract, Short’s at least willing to admit he hasn’t yet been elite in 2016.

“I’m playing all right,” he said. “I could be better. Shed (blocks) better, take on double teams better. There’s a lot of things I could do better.”

With teams allocating most of their double teams on Short and the Panthers’ other defensive tackles, it would help if the ends created more pressure and the secondary held coverage longer. But until that happens, or if Short figures out how to be more productive despite the added attention, he won’t be the distruptive force he was a year ago.

“KK’s played solid,” Rivera said.

“I think KK is just scratching the surface, though. I think he can excel. With him, it’s just continuing to work hard.”