The Carolina Panthers didn't offer up their sharpest performance against the Denver Broncos here in Week 9. Between a parade of silly penalties, a few kicking follies and a very questionable play call, the reigning NFC South champs got in their own way far too many times.
But, even in a bitter 26-21 loss, they may be able to come away with a few silver linings.
Here are our biggest takeaways from Sunday's defeat . . .
Too many mistakes
Even if the officiating was not great, blaming referees can only take you so far.
Carolina came into Week 9 as one of the most penalized teams, and will proceed to leave it that way. Led by their handsy backup cornerbacks, the Panthers were flagged 13 times for a combined 119 yards.
One of those 13 flags came courtesy of kicker Ryan
Fitzgerald, who booted the ball out of bounds on a kickoff to help set up a Denver field goal before the break. Fitzgerald also missed on a 43-yard field goal attempt in the second quarter, essentially accounting for a six-point swing in what was ultimately a five-point loss.
Then, offensive coordinator Brad Idzik served up a real head-scratcher late in the third quarter. With the Panthers up 14-13 on a first-and-goal from the Broncos' 1-yard line, he dialed up a pass—which resulted in an absurd game-altering interception by Broncos safety Devon Key. (Run, maybe?)
What was a winnable game that could've done wonders for the Panthers' playoff push was squandered, time and time again, by sloppiness.
A decent OL showing
The nail in Carolina's coffin came courtesy of left tackle Rasheed Walker, who was beat by two-time Pro Bowl pass rusher Nik Bonitto for a strip-sack of quarterback Bryce Young. Bonitto recovered his own forced fumble, killing the comeback attempt from Denver's 36-yard line at the 1:24 mark of the fourth.
Besides that, and some more growing pains from rookie right tackle Monroe Freeling, we should give the offensive line some props for largely limiting an always-dangerous Broncos defense. Heck, head coach Dave Canales did as much during his post-game presser.
"Generally speaking, played really well," Canales told reporters. "And we were able to do some things in the pass game, the run game. We didn't get it going exactly how we felt like we could. They played us well.
"But we did find some space. We found some yards in there. So, I thought the group really responded well. But again, we gotta be able to finish together, collectively—and you can't just put that on the offensive line."
The Panthers finished with a solid 353 yards of total offense. Young was also given time to cook, as he completed 28 of his 39 throws for 276 yards and three touchdowns.
Carolina's ground game got its push as well. Running back Chuba Hubbard powered through for 79 yards on 16 carries (4.9 yards per attempt).
Not bad for a battered unit that was expected to be bulldozed this weekend, huh?
Defensive direction
Todd Wash's first outing as the interim defensive coordinator wasn't too shabby either.
Containing the run wasn't an issue as it was with former defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero. Broncos ball carriers combined to average just 3.0 yards per carry.
The group also produced a little pressure without top outside linebacker Jaelan Phillips. Although the Panthers finished with one sack, they made quarterback Bo Nix a tad uncomfortable on a few occasions.
Unfortunately, the string of setbacks at the corner position may limit the ceiling of this defense. But if they can get Mike Jackson and/or Jaycee Horn back soon, then Wash could get this group playing respectable ball down the stretch.
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This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: Biggest takeaways from Panthers' bitter Week 9 loss to Broncos
