Panthers’ stagnant offense, tired defense can’t compete in home loss to 49ers
The Carolina Panthers cannot get out of their own way.
For a second consecutive week, blown third downs, a stagnant offense and an interception cost the Panthers yet another home game as Carolina lost, 37-15, to the San Francisco 49ers. No play was more self-destructive than Baker Mayfield’s second-quarter interception.
With fewer than two minutes left in the first half and playing in front of sea of red 49ers fans, the Panthers’ offense had a chance to prove it wasn’t as bad as it’s looked, or the stats say.
Carolina needed points trailing 10-3. Instead, quarterback Baker Mayfield threw a pick-6 to 49ers’ defensive back Emmanuel Moseley on an overthrown check-down pass for Christian McCaffrey. Moseley returned it 41 yards as the handful of Panthers fans at Bank of America Stadium booed.
“I double-clutched the ball. And then when I released it, I don’t think my feet were under me. I think the ball sailed on me a little bit,” Mayfield said. “It’s a game of inches, That was probably about six inches too high for him not to be able to really touch it or deflect it. Obviously, it’s better to have completion, because (McCaffrey) is open right there.”
The triple-pump turnover is Mayfield’s fourth interception in five games and third in two weeks. On the play, Mayfield threw off platform and sailed the pass over McCaffrey and right into Moseley’s gut.
“The pick-six really was a gut punch,” Rhule said. “We just have to get through the hurt of this game and try to go get a win next week.”
Like most Panthers losses, there were moments of hope. San Francisco faced multiple third-and-longs. Yet, the 49ers converted 7 of 12 third-down tries (58%). When the Panthers defense needed to get off the field it could not. Meanwhile, Carolina converted just 3 of 15 third-down tries (20%).
“We got to tackle better, start with myself,” cornerback Donte Jackson said. “We got get off the field on third down and just execute. “We can’t afford to keep shooting ourselves in the foot.”
The Panthers opened the second half looking like a different team, sparked by a 45-yard kick return from newcomer Raheem Blackshear that could have been a score had he beat the kicker.
Blackshear, who was signed last month off the Bills practice squad, returned seven kicks for 200 yards.
“That was a change of pace. That really helped kind of Ignite things on the second half and maybe you can do some more stuff to help us,” Rhule said. “Blackshear has been a bright spot. I think once you kind of get all those guys mixed in with the guys that we already have the established playmakers, you’ll see a lot of good things.”
Rhule also mentioned receiver Laviska Shenault as a player he’d like to see play more along with Blackshear. Shenault was inactive on Sunday. He’s been dealing with muscle strains to each of his hamstrings.
Carolina scored its first touchdown on a fourth-and-1 rush from McCaffrey, who hit a cut-back lane and cruised 19 yards to the end zone. The touchdown cut the 49ers’ lead to eight points after the Panthers’ two-point conversion attempt failed.
Mayfield put together a few encouraging second-half drives, but it was far from enough to threaten San Francisco. He completed 20 of 36 passes for 215 yards. Backup PJ Walker played the Panthers last series as Rhule pulled Mayfield and McCaffrey after San Francisco went up 22 points with three minutes to play.
McCaffrey finished with 104 total yards and a touchdown.
“As a leader on the team, I put it on me. It’s on the players,” McCaffrey said. “Players win games. Players lose games, too. We got to make the plays. I gotta be better.”
Carolina caught a second-half break when 49ers star pass rusher Nick Bosa was declared out with a groin injury. But moments later cornerback C.J. Henderson was flagged for defensive pass interference while in coverage against Deebo Samuel. It was a pivotal call as it came on fourth down from the 49ers’ 45-yard line.
San Francisco scored four plays later to go up 24-9 with 6:37 left in the third quarter.
It was a tough afternoon for Henderson. The 49ers targeted him on several critical downs, including a fourth-quarter third-and-10 where Henderson missed a tackle after his assignment caught a 6-yard out route.
After the 49ers went up 15 points, Mayfield responded the following drive by completing a 31-yard slot-fade pass to Shi Smith, which set up a 37-yard Eddy Pineiro field goal to pull Carolina within 12. But Carolina’s defense began to wear down in the third quarter. The 49ers ran 16 third-quarter plays, gained 112 yards and scored 14 points.
The 49ers’ run game helped San Francisco pull away in the second half. The team ran for 154 yards and two touchdowns. Running back Jeff Wilson gained 120 yards on 17 carries.
Trailing by 18 early in third quarter, Carolina came away with three points after marching 59 yards on 12 plays early in the fourth quarter. Pineiro made a 34-yard try, his third make of the afternoon. He missed a 41-yard first-quarter try, his first miss of the season.
Playing without starting safeties Jeremy Chinn (hamstring) and Xavier Woods (hamstring) cost the Panthers in coverage. In the first quarter alone, 49ers running backs and tight ends combined for six catches for 81 yards and a touchdown.
“I woke up thinking they were going to probably play,” Rhule said. “But we worked them out. They weren’t good to go. It’s a long season. We don’t want guys hurting themselves.”
The Panthers dropped to 1-4 and face the defending Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams at SoFi Stadium next week. After the game, Mayfield, McCaffrey, Jackson and several other players all voiced their unified support for Rhule.
“One-hundred percent, One-hundred percent, One-hundred percent,” Jackson said of his belief in Rhule. “Not even a doubt. We know what kind of ball is being coached and it’s not losing ball. We got to be better as players.”
This story was originally published October 9, 2022 at 7:26 PM with the headline "Panthers’ stagnant offense, tired defense can’t compete in home loss to 49ers."
