1-3 Carolina Panthers need more ‘attention to details’

DONALD WATKINS | THE CHARLOTTE POST

Diontae Johnson caught seven passes for 83 yards and a touchdown in the Carolina Panthers' 34-24 loss to the Cincinnati Bengals Sunday at Bank of America Stadium. The Panthers dropped to 1-3.

On second-and-goal from the 1, Carolina Panthers quarterback Andy Dalton dropped back for one of coach Dave Canales’ favorite pass plays, an end zone fade.  

Canales liked the call so much he had squares painted at the back of the end zones on the practice fields. The quarterbacks and receivers ran the drill consistently during the offseason and training camp.

On Sunday, Canales identified a favorable matchup: receiver Diontae Johnson against Cincinnati Bengals defender Dax Hill. Dalton threw the pass, but Johnson failed to convert on an opening-possession touchdown.

“Yeah, I should have made a play on it,” Johnson said in the locker room following the Panthers’ 34-24 loss at Bank of America Stadium. “Not going to sit here and make excuses.”

Neither is Canales.

The Panthers fell to 1-3 not from a lack of big plays or big-play potential, Canales said. They lost because of the “details.”

Andy Dalton delivering consistency

In the two weeks that Dalton started in place of Bryce Young, the Panthers generated 60 combined points. But they left seven more on the field early in the first quarter Sunday when Carolina failed to score on four plays from the Bengals’ 2. Chuba Hubbard, who otherwise continues to emerge as a dependable lead back, had three chances and Johnson had the other.  

“The first drive, we gotta finish those in the red zone,” Canales said. “It ended up being a huge difference.”

Throughout his postgame press conference, Canales kept recycling the “details” theme.

“It comes down to the details,” he said at one point.

At another, he mentioned the team needs to refine its attention to “critical details.”

Sounding as if the message is beginning to filter through the locker room, Johnson said: “It boils down to the details.”

Beginning with his first quarter drop.

“That was a great opportunity,” said Johnson, who finished with seven receptions for 83 yards and one touchdown.

With receiver Adam Thielen on injured reserve, Johnson should remain busy. In the first half against Cincinnati, Dalton targeted Johnson 10 times, resulting in five catches for 54 yards.

As a proven deep-ball threat, Johnson, a former Pro Bowler, gives the Panthers a field-stretching element. On Sunday’s third play, he raced past safety Geno Stone for a 39-yard catch and run.  

Johnson also hauled in a fourth-down catch that led to Hubbard’s 3-yard, second-quarter touchdown run. He also capped a five-play drive with a 21-yard TD pass, cutting the Bengals’ lead to 31-21 with 53 seconds left in the third quarter.

Johnson’s busier on Sundays

On the day the Panthers paid tribute to Pro Football Hall of Fame inductee Julius Peppers joining the Ring of Excellence, Johnson expounded on Canales’ “details” mantra.  It left the six-year veteran questioning himself.

On the end-zone fade Canales favors, Johnson wondered “what could I have done better to get more separation or (reach for the ball) at the catch point? I gotta have those, at the end of the day. It comes down to the details.”

Following the Week 3 win against Las Vegas, Canales sought greater offensive consistency. There were encouraging signs of it against Cincinnati.

“We’re getting closer,” he said. “We’re right there.”

With 375 total yards against the Bengals (1-3), the Panthers have produced 812 yards over Dalton’s two starts.

“We just believe in ourselves,” Johnson said. “The past two weeks, (we’re) playing as a unit and letting Andy lead us. We just rally behind him and make plays.”
The consistency Canales sought appears to be developing. Now, for the details.

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