Instant analysis: Panthers gift game to Detroit Lions in mistake-filled performance

Instant analysis from the Carolina Panthers’ 20-19 loss to the Detroit Lions on Sunday.

‘Missed opportunities.’

The Panthers did everything in their power to hand the game to the Lions.

After losses or shaky play, head coach Ron Rivera likes to use the phrase “missed opportunities.”

Well, Carolina backed those words up in spades on Sunday in the first half. Receiver Devin Funchess, playing in his hometown, was targeted four times in the first and second quarter and flat-out missed three of those targets. He dropped five passes with 12 minutes left in the game.

Receiver Curtis Samuel also had a slick deep pass headed toward him courtesy of quarterback Cam Newton, and had to go up for a jump ball. But he appeared to have it ripped away by third-string safety Tracy Walker for an interception.

And that translated over to the defense, as well. Stafford completed a 9-yard pass to Kenny Golladay that cornerback James Bradberry had his hands all over for his first potential interception of the season. But Golladay ripped it away from him. The Lions scored on the drive to tie the game in the first quarter, 7-7.

As if that weren’t enough to dig the Panthers’ in a hole, kicker Graham Gano missed a 34-yard field goal in the first half. Then, after the Panthers tied the game 13-all in the fourth quarter, Gano missed the extra point. The misses were especially shocking considering the Panthers were playing in a wind-free dome.

Bradberry then gave up two huge plays in the fourth quarter with the game tied 13-13. With the Lions facing a third down and 15, Matthew Stafford hit Kenny Golladay for a 36-yard catch. Bradberry had held Golladay on the play, and failed to turn around quickly enough to deflect the ball. He was also called for the hold.

Golladay scored the go-ahead touchdown with Bradberry in coverage three plays later.

Finally, Carolina scored with 1:07 left to play and went for the 2-point conversion and the win instead of the tie. As the play broke down, Newton saw Jarius Wright crossing over the middle of the end zone with a step on his defender.

Newton threw, but the ball was behind Wright and fell incomplete.

Kerryon, carried on.

Detroit rookie running back Kerryon Johnson gouged Carolina early as they struggled to tackle him surely.

On the Lions’ first-drive touchdown, Johnson had 42 yards before running in the score himself.

Johnson hurt the Panthers when running downhill, but also proved shifty and hard to bring down around the edge.

Johnson injured his knee in the third quarter and had to leave the game after racking up 87 yards on 15 carries. He also had two catches for 10 yards.

Missed tackles won’t cut it

It’s hard to remember a season so pockmarked by missed tackles from the Panthers defense.

Carolina brought pressure early and so Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford played a quick-release game. That wouldn’t have been so effective if the Panthers would have been able to seal and wrap cleanly, but Johnson and receiver Bruce Ellington were able to create too many yards after a catch or a handoff courtesy of arm-tackles and straight-up whiffs from the Panthers’ defense.

Plus, Detroit’s shift to the quick-strike game hurt the Panthers already-struggling pass rush. While the Lions had three third-down sacks on Newton by the end of the third quarter, the Panthers didn’t have a single one through that time and finished with one.

This story was originally published November 18, 2018 at 4:07 PM.