On a special Processing Blue, Charlotte Observer Carolina Panthers beat reporter Mike Kaye reacts to the Panthers 37-27 loss in Seattle, QB Andy Dalton’s play, lack of a running game (again) and what the future holds.
Photo: Joe Nicholson, USA TODAY Sports
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Foreign After the Panthers lost in Seattle it Looked like a game they were able to win Just ultimately couldn't get it done What happened to the Panthers once they Had the lead well I I think the Panthers Couldn't run the football and when you Have a close game especially when you're Winning and you can't run the football You become one-dimensional the the Defense can plan against what you are Doing pretty easily and we saw this kind Of implode the offense I mean the Defense kind of Held the Seahawks to field goals through Their first five scoring drives and then The offense really couldn't deliver and Build on those three-point scores Typically when you force a team to Settle for field goals as many times as The Panthers defense did you come out on Top because you're allowed to meet those Field goals with touchdowns and the Panthers simply didn't do that Um it's unfortunate I mean listen the The Panthers had five scoring drives But and three touchdowns by the way but By the time that they were able to kind Of put that third touchdown drive up the Game is out of hand and I think look There's a lot of injuries on the defense There's a lot going on on offense There's a lot of change there's all this Other stuff but again the Panthers built
This up like they were ready to contend For the NFC South so really you can't You can't really go easy on them and Right now this team does not look like a Good team at all let's talk about that Defense uh Frankie louville was missed The second half there's a lot of Linebacker injuries CJ Henderson went Out Um what do you think is the kind of the Status of that defense moving forward They're going to be healthy enough to Kind of deal with Minnesota in six days I mean this is a tough a tough thing to Figure out I mean they they I said it on Our show several times on processing Blue that this was a top heavy defense They did not have a lot of depth and Already we're seeing some major injuries Between Shaq Thompson JC horn CJ Henderson who's filling in for JC horn By the way Xavier Woods doesn't return There there's an injury if Frankie luvu Who just became a captain in Shaq Thompson instead it's almost like They're snake bitten on defense and and Look we're seeing the effect of that in The running game we're seeing that late In games in the passing game It's just they don't have a lot of depth To begin with and when you lose starters The way that they are losing starters in These first three weeks you're lucky to Kind of survive this
You know early six game slate before the Buy I just I don't know what the answer Is here And it just kind of feels like this team Can't get out of its own way whether It's penalties or drops or a poor Running game or stopping the run or I Mean just like all around this has just Been an abject failure the first three Games of the Season Coach Wright said The the offsides and I mean the motion Penalties of the illegal shifts he Called it pathetic um do you agree with That I mean they're playing in a very Loud environment but is there any excuse For that I mean eight false start Penalties eight four four four your First round draft pick yeah and you're Starting left tackle Um yeah just I mean yeah that is Pathetic I think the offense as a whole Has just had the self-inflicted wounds I Mean I counted at least six drops from Wide receivers today I mean I thought Andy Dalton for the most part was Accurate and then once the game kind of Got out of Handy pressed a little bit Because he had to because he was Throwing 58 passes which is why that's a Career record right yeah it is and he's Played in the league for 13 years he was A full-time franchise starter for nine Seasons That's the Big 12 type of stuff Throwing 58 times in a game that's wild
Right and look you know we we've watched Frank Reich before earlier in the season Say you know brysham's throwing too much Against Atlanta I believe he threw 38 Times and break right came out and said That's too much well guess what you're On the road in a hostile environment you Know kudos to the Seahawks defense kudos To the 12th man because look they're all They were without Jamal Adams uh Tariq Woolen uh Kobe Bryant like this was a Like this was a tough thing to to set up Through right and yet I mean the fan base really helped them Out that was a true home field advantage I don't know if if they played at Bank Of America Stadium if the Seahawks walk Out with this one but I wonder we wanted To I want to rewind you a little bit you Talked about how many passes Andy Dalton Had who's calling those plays because The Panthers ran the ball 14 times we Talked last week about play calling is It play calling does it stop calling the Run they ran 14 times for 44 yards I Mean I I think it's play calling it's Straight up play calling I mean I I Think Thomas Brown a former NFL running Back would want to run the ball I think Frank Reich is calling far too many Passes but when the running game isn't Working realistically it's either like Quit on the run or continue to get one Or two yards and I think that that is
Kind of what plays into this I I don't Know if there's a great answer here I Can say stick with the run but when you Can't run like I I mean this is a little Bit different than last week where last Week they were having a little bit of Success on the run early on and then They just completely forgot it existed Here they just weren't able to I mean Look Frank Reich even said the running Game was non-existent and so you You've prop I mean you have promoted This coaching staff In every facet is being terrific and it Just kind of feels like Running the football and stopping the Run are legitimate concerns here and I Think it largely comes from execution I I don't know if it's really coaching but What's on the coaching staff is play Calling and from the offensive point of View they are really one-dimensional and Defenses are keying in on that I know These are different opponents but why Was Andy Dalton so much more effective In this offense in one game than we've Seen from Bryce young and two well I I Think for one you know he is a veteran He knows what it takes he's played in Seattle before he's been able to kind of Play free because really there's really No pressure on him they lose Bryson's Getting his job back they win Bryce Jordan's getting his job back I mean I I
I think when you can play effort or not Not effort free but like when you can Play as relaxed as he was I mean this Was really his game to shine he had Nothing but you know positive things to Kind of look forward to because he Didn't sign up to be the starter here And so I think from Dalton's perspective He he moved the ball around he targeted 10 different receivers connected with All 10 of them Um you know they let him down a little Bit with drops I thought he led the Offense relatively well but the reality Is they traded up a ton to get Bryce Young Bryce young is a guy who they've Invested a ton in they took with the First overall pick they you know In theory it had they waited to not Trot Him out there in week one and through Training camp and built up this whole Thing maybe they have some wiggle room Here but this is bryceum's show this Season's all about Bryce young Especially at Owen three you've got to Figure out if you have a quarterback Right Um and well don't look fine I mean he's Looked fine throughout his career I mean He gave you what you thought you would Get from him I just don't know how you turn the page On anybody Like Bryce young who you've invested all
This draft capital and the top overall Pick and the entire summer into Okay well let's talk one bright spot I Thought DJ Tark played really well he Got behind the defense and made some Pretty nice catches I know there was Some drops there with him and some of The other guys but I thought he showed Some of what he showed in training camp Correct not yeah I mean I think he's Kind of overcome the hamstring injury That kept him on the sideline last uh in Week one uh he had that great touchdown I believe it was 47 yards nice little Move to 20 he got in there but the Reality is he caught I believe four of 11 passes and for 86 yards and and and a Touchdown and I while I think he's been Fine I I don't know if he's your top Level playmaker by default I mean we saw Adam feeling having a pretty nice game All things considered I think he got 11 11 145 of the touch Like that's wild Um but that also shows you how much Andy Dalton's dropping back to pass I think Look The Panthers are in this awkward Situation where they they brought in all These veterans and those guys have Struggled to make consistent plays and The whole point of them being brought in Was to be veteran safety nets for Bryce Young and I don't think they've left
They've lived up to the standard miles Sanders hasn't Hayden Hurst went the Entire second half for a second or the Entire first half for a second straight Game without a Target yeah Um I just like Feeling seems to be the only guy who can Make regular plays and even then it's Just not enough and so I don't know Where they go from here but almost every Gamble the Panthers have had on offense Has just not completely worked out or Like the thought of it has not even kind Of Gravitated towards success Before we wrap up I want to get your Grade on the first three weeks of the Season give me a letter grade from what You've seen on the Panthers offensively Defensively and in coaching over the First three weeks offensively it's it's A d-minus like I I don't know what You're you're looking at you said no you Send a note on offense I mean look Between the penalties between the drops Between inconsistency pre-snap all of That stuff maybe I'll give him a d maybe I'll be I'll feel a little bit gracious Don't get a note going home it's still a Warning yeah I mean Conferences this grade's not going on The fridge I think defensively I think The scheme works I think the play Calling his work but from a a an overall
Execution standpoint especially when it Comes to tackling they have not lived up To par I'd give them a c Um special teams they've been fine uh You know I mean there have been Penalties but I think you know we saw Eddie Pinero miss a field goal that was Have been his new career high He was Largely successful leading up to that I Think Johnny Hecker is the best punter In the game Um I'd give them a b and then I think Coaching look I mean not for nothing but This coaching staff's been promoted like It is going to be the Saving Grace of This franchise and they've LED with it They've LED with this coaching staff and I think You know yeah you can you can point Towards execution but it's the coaching Staff's job to fix what has completely Hindered this team throughout the first Three weeks and they're all pretty Similar Trail you know trappings right So I would just say that for them I mean It's a d like I I mean I I don't know What what other grade you give them Other I mean higher than that just Simply because A scheme can work a system can work but The play calling and the execution Especially on offense have left a lot to Be desired I I just they're owing three For a reason like this is not like a
Team that's just you know had a bad call Go one way or another or whatever these Have been legitimate losses all three of Them and I I just don't know how you Stop the bleeding here well well that's Uh not boating well for the future they Have a couple weeks for the bye week They got Minnesota coming in and um do You think there's anything what what can They do to hang in with Minnesota and Pull an upset that developer running Game I mean really that's what it is I Think you know if you look at what the Eagles were able to do on Thursday Night Football from a running standpoint with DeAndre Swift I mean like they were able To get the ball down the field is really Often I mean the Vikings just don't have A defense that can can hold up against a Strong running game and if you can open Up the running game you can give Bryson The support to sit back there and kind Of throw the ball around the yard I just I don't know if they're capable of doing That through three weeks they've they've Either Been terrible on the on the ground or They've just ignored the ground game and That is that's frustrating I I just from An observational standpoint even Objectively it's been weird to watch This team just go away from the run Whether it's warranted or not right well We'll have to see what happens moving
Forward I'll put all you guys will uh Keep watching us you know processing Blue make sure you follow all the Content on Charlotte observer.com make Sure you like subscribe and follow us Here and there's Mike K he'll be here Every week right Well hopefully hopefully all right we'll Catch you guys next time
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