4.) What About Bené?

 

The Dolphins made Bené Benwikere inactive Sunday, but you’d think he could’ve helped Panthers if they hadn’t suddenly cut him loose.

Because that call still makes little sense to most, many believe there’s an untold story. But when coaches can’t trust that you’re going to be where you’re supposed to in a zone defense …

“Quite honestly Bené didn’t do the things we needed him to do,” Rivera said.

“Going forward it’s one of those things where we’ve got to make sure everybody’s on the same page, and if we’re not, we’ve got to get guys that are going to be on the same page and get them out there and get them playing.”

Added McDermott:

“At the end of the day, it’s about people doing what they’re asked to do. And to be honest with you, I’m focused on the guys that are here. We do things a certain way for a certain reason.”

 

5.) Going With Gano

 

Again, Rivera loathes throwing his guys under the bus no matter the outside noise. So after he seemed to back off his vote of confidence for kicker Graham Gano, Rivera was ready to answer a question he figured was coming.

“We’re going to stand pat,” he said when asked if the Panthers would consider a change during the bye week.

Then, looking down at prepared notes, Rivera said:

“If you go back and you evaluate it as an extra-point kicker, he’s right about 95 percent, which is a little bit more than league average I believe. And then in clutch kicks, again he’s well above the league average. Maybe he’s having where he’s missed one here or there and they’re not what cost you football games. There was one — Denver, the opener. Other than that, he’s been very solid for us and he’s done a good job.”

And like he had already done twice the past few days, Gano gave himself a vote of confidence.

“I’ve been hitting the ball well,” he said. “I feel good about the way I’m kicking.

“I think it’s kind of funny everybody’s making a big deal.”

 

6.) No Restrictions

 

In one of his longest comments post game, quarterback Cam Newton raised some eyebrows when he answered a question about his limited involvement in the run game with a terse: “I’m just doing what I’m asked to do.”

Newton rushed just twice, with his only designed attempt ending in the end zone on a short score late in the fourth quarter. The two attempts tied a career low, which also happened during three losses in 2014.

So did the Panthers purposely cut down his carries after a couple weeks of renewed talk about the number of hits Newton takes?

“On pass plays? As far as scrambling and stuff like that? No, we never put a limit on that,” offensive coordinator Mike Shula said. “As far as called runs? We had them all up and ready. There were a couple that were reads where he handed off. Others were ready and we were kind of moving in other areas.”