Panthers’ defense has no time to dwell on tough ending to Week 3 loss to the Browns, and now must move on without a top defender
The Carolina Panthers defense failed to close out Sunday’s game against the Cleveland Browns and to make matters worse, the unit also lost Pro Bowl CB Jaycee Horn in the process. But, you have to move on.
The Carolina Panthers had a tough loss on Sunday against the Cleveland Browns, a game in which Carolina had plenty of opportunities to win but simply failed to execute in critical moments to seal the deal, especially on the defensive side of the ball.
To make matters worse, the Panthers’ defense will now have to move forward without Pro Bowl cornerback Jaycee Horn, who will be out indefinitely with a torn quad he suffered late in Sunday’s game.
“I think we’re very well equipped, but at the same time, it’s a next man up type of league,” veteran defensive lineman Bobby Brown said on Monday. “Us losing Jaycee, especially for (potentially) the season is a big loss. He’s one of the best in the game right now, if not the best. But, I think we can still do our job to be a good defense.”
Next man up after losing Jaycee Horn
Head coach Dave Canales confirmed speaking with reporters on Monday that the next man up is expected to be rookie Will Lee III. Lee played over 90 percent of the defensive snaps on Sunday and had a strong game despite being targeted seven times in coverage.
It was an encouraging step forward for Lee, who allowed 90 yards on four receptions in the regular season opener against the Chicago Bears. After that game, Horn told Lee not to be too hard on himself. Sometimes that’s just life for a rookie corner in this league. Now, Lee has an even bigger role and more attention coming his way with Horn sidelined.
“We had this conversation in practice,” Lee said. “He was saying like “People are going to catch a ball on you, you have to live with that.’ My whole mentality, I want nobody to catch nothing. He’s like ‘That’s not realistic in this game, sometimes they’re just going to catch a ball.’ But, that’s what I hold myself to. I don’t want nobody to catch nothing on me, even if it’s a short pass, a deep pass, anything. But, I’m still trying to get that mentality out of me so I can be more confident in my play and trust my technique.”
Along with Lee, the Panthers will also turn to Akayleb Evans, Chau Smith-Wade and Canales hinted at the team promoting Corey Thornton off the practice squad (once Horn is placed on the IR). General manager Dan Morgan is also combing through external options to see who he could potentially add, ideally someone that knows the scheme.
Moving on from the disaster play that nearly clinched the game for Carolina
The real kicker for this defense on Sunday is that they made the game-sealing play in the fourth quarter, until a penalty caused the play to be negated.
It was a second-and-15 play from Carolina’s 29-yard-line with 2:36 remaining in the fourth quarter. Deshaun Watson was forced to run out of the pocket and forced the pass into the endzone. The ball was deflected intended for rookie wide receiver KC Concepcion with Lee in coverage and ended up in the hands of Evans for an interception.
However, after Watson released the ball, the arm of veteran linebacker Bobby Okereke hit Watson in the helmet, prompting the official to throw a flag for roughing the passer. Three plays later, Watson threw the go-ahead touchdown that eventually won the game.
“I saw him get hit in the head by somebody’s hands,” Canales told reporters after the game. “I don’t know who that was, but we can’t do that. We go lower on the quarterback when the ball’s in the air. You have to make that decision right at the end to either put your hands on the quarterback or not. And we made the wrong decision in that case and extended the drive and then he was able to create a little extra time on the scramble play—which is something he can do well.”
After reviewing the tape, that was the turning point for this entire game. It was a game-sealing moment on a bang-bang play as Okereke called it, and a tough way to eventually lose. Even if Watson’s acting played a role.
“That man didn’t fall until after his feet touched each other and Bobby was on his feet looking at the ref before the flag was thrown,” Brown explained. “He flopped. But, it is what it is. I would have done the same thing. You gotta do what you gotta do to win.”
Prior to that moment, Canales said he was proud of the way the defense played and limited points against Cleveland’s offense. It was one of those grueling low-scoring battles and in those type of games, it just takes one play to come away on top.
It’s a play the Panthers weren’t able to execute on fully, but you have to move on in this league, there’s no dwelling in the past. And now the Panthers have to move on without one of their top defenders as well.
