Black and Blue Review
Entire Offense to Blame
Nearly everyone on the Panthers’ offense — including coordinator Mike Shula — had a hand in the prime-time debacle. But as the face of the unit and the franchise, quarterback Cam Newton will shoulder most of the burden.
“Everybody’s looking for a magic play. Everybody’s looking for somebody to say something, for somebody to do something and take responsibility for themselves,” Newton said. “I need to be better. I need to play better. I feel like if I do that, we’re moving in the right direction.”
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5 Lingering Concerns
Kelvin Benjamin is near the top of most major categories among rookie receivers, but his ability to make incredible catches is starting to be overshadowed by drops on his easier opportunities.
For the second straight week, Benjamin dropped a touchdown pass. He was bailed out a play later when Newton ran in for a score, but Benjamin’s problem isn’t going away.
He’s currently tied for second in the NFL with five drops, and he’s averaging a drop rate of 7.4 percent.
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STATS AND SUPERLATIVES
The Panthers:
- Have scored 10 or fewer points in consecutive weeks for the first time since the final two weeks of the 2010 season.
- Have scored just one touchdown in their last 121 minutes and 24 seconds.
- Picked up more than half of their net passing yards (122) on just two plays: WR Jerricho Cotchery’s 47-yard catch and RB DeAngelo Williams’ 30-yard reception.
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QUOTES TO NOTE
“This is a group thing. This is not on one guy. We need to do a better job protecting. We need to do a better job getting open. We need to do a better job catching the ball. Every single aspect of basic football needs to improve. There’s no magic formula. We don’t need magic plays. We need to play better.” — Panthers tight end Greg Olsen
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PANTHERS POLL
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HIGHLIGHTS
GAME STORY
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — The Carolina Panthers need to get their offense moving before it’s too late to make another playoff run this season.
In a game to determine the NFC South lead, the Panthers sputtered to 231 yards and didn’t build any momentum when their defense was opportunistic early.
The struggles sent them to a 28-10 loss to the New Orleans Saints on Thursday night, their second straight game with 10 or fewer points.
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GAME BOOK
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GameWeek TIMELINE
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It's Not 'Must-See TV,' But Thursday Night is for First Place
The Panthers and Saints will battle for the top of the disappointing NFC South on Thursday night. Read more
Quotes to Note: Rivera, Shula, McDermott
“I had no issues with the plays that were called. We can execute better. That’s probably the biggest thing, more than anything else.” - Ron Rivera Read more
Panthers Add Remmers, Lester; Subtract Reaves, Blackburn
With their starting tackles nursing injuries on a short week, the Panthers added some help by signing Mike Remmers. Read more
Fans May Get Their Wish: Bell's Status Up in the Air
Many Panthers fans have wanted to see someone other than Byron Bell play left tackle. They could get their wish, and that may not be a good thing. Read more
Harper Sharing Saints' Secrets
Roman Harper roamed the Saints' secondary from 2006-'13. During those eight seasons, he played against the team that now employs him 14 times. Read more
Panthers Get Saints Right Where They Want Them
The Panthers have won just once in the last six weeks, but they could make a big move in their division Thursday night. Read more
Quotes to Note: Sean Payton and Drew Brees
"Those two as a pair are the best in the game." - Drew Brees on Like Kuechly and Thomas Davis Read more
Josh Norman, in Five Parts
The light flickered for cornerback Josh Norman in his first two years, but it eventually turned off during each of those seasons. Read more
Wednesday's Practice Report and Notes
Left tackle Byron Bell has been ruled out of Thursday night's game agains the Saints. Read more
Pre-Saints Podcast
Ahead of Thursday's primetime game, NOLA.com and The Times-Picayune Saints columnist Larry Holder joined the BBR Podcast. Read more
The Blindside, 2?
The first scene of “The Blindside, 2? may be set on a frozen pond in Canada. A solid game by David Foucault against the Saints sure would be one heck of a story. Read more
3 Things to Watch Between the Panthers and Saints
The Saints are known for their potent passing attack, but through the first half of this season, their run game is the league's 7th best. Read more
Cleaning Out This Week's Notebook
“He can knock a fly off a shoulder with the ball if he had to.” - Thomas DeCoud on Drew Brees Read more