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Panthers' cornerback Richard Marshall pointed to the game film to defend him against an insult fired in his direction by Dallas receiver Roy Williams after the Cowboys' 21-7 win Monday night.
Even though it looked like Marshall broke up a pass from quarterback Tony Romo to Williams early in the fourth quarter, Williams said he dropped the ball. He also said he and Marshall jawed at one another throughout the game, saying of Marshall: "He's terrible. Print that."
Marshall's response: "It doesn't bother me none. The film shows it. We were down there one-on-one and he didn't score.
"He can say what he wants to say about me being terrible or about me not playing good or whatever he wants to say, but when he got down there in the red zone, they threw the fade (and) he didn't catch the ball. I knocked it out of his hands."
Notes
•The Panthers expressed hope that this would be the year third-year wide receiver Dwayne Jarrett, a former second-round pick, became more of a factor in the offense. So far, that's not happening. Jarrett is getting limited snaps behind starters Steve Smith and Muhsin Muhammad. Kenneth Moore also has received playing time as a backup receiver.
Jarrett has two catches for 19 yards.
Jarrett made it clear he'd prefer to be playing more. He noted the Panthers so far aren't using three-receiver sets much.
"It can get frustrating because you want to be out there, you want to compete, you want to help the team anyway you can," he said. "It's difficult when you're not out there. There's really not much you can do. When I do get out there, I try to give it my all.
•Coach John Fox stressed that running the football remains the Panthers' primary offensive identity after backs DeAngelo Williams and Jonathan Stewart combined for just 14 carries against the Cowboys.
"There's no doubt I think we're a run-team first," said Fox. "We remember that, but sometimes situations in games dictate how many times you do run the ball. If you've got a 14-point lead with five minutes to go, you run the ball more than you pass it. That's not just true of our team. That's true of any team in the National Football League."
However, Monday night's game was close until late in the fourth quarter. Dallas' largest lead was six points until five minutes, seven seconds remained, when an interception returned for a touchdown and two-point conversion raised the lead to 14 points.
•The Panthers may have interest in veteran defensive tackle Hollis Thomas, 35. He was released by the Rams earlier this week, in part to clear room for their younger players to play more.
Thomas (6-0, 340 pounds) may not be a starter anymore, but likely could provide help in the playing rotation.
Thomas is a 14-year veteran who was known as a stout run defender during his prime.
•On Tuesday, the Rams added former Panthers defensive tackle Marlon Favorite to their practice squad. Favorite was an undrafted free agent from LSU who spent the preseason with the Panthers, getting plenty of repetitions with the first-team defense after Maake Kemoeatu's season-ending injury.
