CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Only five games into the season and the Carolina
Panthers look nothing like the team that went 15-1 last year and lost in
the Super Bowl.
These days, the reigning NFC and three-time NFC
South champions are struggling with a little of everything — shaky
defense, injuries, turnovers, you name it — in a shocking 1-4 start to
the season.
And after a mistake-filled 17-14 home loss to the
Tampa Bay Buccaneers on a last-second field goal, the Panthers are left
to explain how they can turn it all around.
“Stuff like this
happens in the NFL,” cornerback Teddy Williams said. “You can be great
one year and come back and have a season like this. But at the end of
the day we’re only five games in, you really can circle the wagons and
know that it’s a long season, and come back strong and really finish
stronger than you started.”
Injuries have been a huge problem,
starting with Monday’s absence of reigning NFL MVP Cam Newton.
He missed
this one after suffering a concussion after taking a hard shot to the
head when he pulled up near the goal line on a 2-point conversion in a
loss at Atlanta.
Carolina has also been without top
tailback Jonathan Stewart since Week 2 with a hamstring injury. Two
other starters, left tackle Michael Oher (concussion) and cornerback
James Bradberry (toe), were also out along with first-round draft pick
Vernon Butler (ankle) at defensive tackle.
But the problems run deeper, starting with the fact the Panthers are committing way too many mistakes.
Carolina
had four turnovers Monday night, three coming from backup quarterback
Derek Anderson. The most costly was a goal-line interception in which
Anderson threw into double coverage looking for Greg Olsen — Brent
Grimes made a leaping grab in the end zone — with the teams tied at
14-all midway through the fourth quarter.
That pushed the Panthers to 14 turnovers through five games after committing 19 during their 15-win regular season a year ago.
Carolina
got the ball only once more, a three-and-out that ultimately led to the
Buccaneers’ winning drive. By the end, Carolina had finished with
nearly 100 more total yards (414-315) but plenty of empty possessions.
“We moved the ball when we wanted to,” Anderson said. “We did a lot of
good things. Unfortunately we had bad plays at the wrong time. That’s
kind of what it came down to.”
Overall, Carolina’s offense is
averaging about a touchdown less per game from its NFL-best 31.2-point
average last season, while the defense has struggled to get a pass rush
and is surrendering 27 points per game after allowing about 19 a year
ago.
Carolina is also committing more penalties.
They’ve committed 39 penalties for 330 yards, including a 15-yard
facemask by Kony Ealy while trying to tackle Jacquizz Rodgers in the
final minute to set up Roberto Aguayo’s 38-yard field goal for the win.
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The
Panthers travel to New Orleans this weekend before getting a needed
bye. They can only hope that gives them a chance to get healthy and
regroup.
“The things that we aren’t doing a good job of, we need to fix,” center Ryan Kalil said, “and we need to fix them right away.”
