Apparently Joe Brady wasn’t the problem.
A week after firing their offensive coordinator, the Carolina Panthers posted a disastrous offensive outing in a 29-21 loss on Sunday to the Atlanta Falcons. With Cam Newton and P.J. Walker both playing quarterback, the Panthers turned the ball over three times, allowed a defensive touchdown and saw two drives end on failed fourth-down efforts.
The loss delivered a blow to the now 5-8 Panthers’ longshot playoff hopes while the NFC South rival Falcons improved to 6-7 to gain a leg up in the postseason race. It also raised more questions around the ongoing struggles of Carolina’s offense.
The Panthers got off to a good start with a 65-yard drive on their first possession ending with a 12-yard Newton touchdown run. From there, mistakes doomed Carolina.
After tying the game at 7-7, the Falcons took the lead midway through the second quarter when Newton failed to recognize Atlanta linebacker Mykal Walker in zone coverage. Walker intercepted Newton’s third-down pass at Carolina’s 34-yard line and returned it 66 yards for his first career touchdown.
Carolina’s next possession ended on a three-and-out. When the Panthers next returned to the field on offense, Walker was in at quarterback. He didn’t last long. The Panthers’ backup faced immediate pressure from a four-man Falcons pass rush on third-and-6 and lofted a ball deep down field and up for grabs. Falcons cornerback A.J. Terrell claimed it for Atlanta’s second interception of the day.
Newton returned to start the second half with Atlanta leading 17-14. He hadn’t necessarily been benched. Head coach Matt Rhule alluded to a potential platoon at quarterback earlier this week and has previously said that Walker’s better prepared to run Carolina’s two-minute offense after Newton joined the team midseason. But Walker’s interception certainly didn’t help his case to stay in the game.
The Panthers again started the half with a scoring drive that ended with a 17-yard touchdown run by Chuba Hubbard to cut Atlanta’s lead to 17-14. But disaster struck again on Carolina’s next possession. Newton tripped over one of his offensive lineman after taking a snap and attempted to complete a handoff to Hubbard as he fell down. Instead, he fumbled, and the Falcons recovered.
Newton slipped again early in the fourth quarter on a failed fourth-down effort that ended in a Dante Fowler sack.
Walker would return to the game to lead another Panthers touchdown drive, but it was too little, too late as Carolina’s mistakes proved too costly to overcome. Newton finished the day completing 15-of-23 passes for 178 yards with no touchdown passes and an interception — and plenty more questions about how much he has left in the tank as an NFL quarterback.
