Joe Mixon runs wild, Mayfield replaces Walker as Panthers blown out by Bengals
All week the Panthers talked about how their season-long goals were still obtainable.
Carolina can still win the NFC South, but after a 42-21 rout courtesy of the Cincinnati Bengals, there is not much reason to believe the Panthers will.
“Defensively, we couldn’t stop them to get off the field,” interim head coach Steve Wilks said. “We started slow and really couldn’t stop the bleeding. I put all that on me. Got to be more prepared and ready to play. We got to go out and execute. And most importantly, right here, we got to find answers.”
Wilks took all the blame for how the Bengals bullied Carolina on Sunday at Paycor Stadium. Joe Burrow quarterbacked a clean game, throwing one pinpoint pass after another while running back Joe Mixon ran wherever he liked all afternoon.
Mixon pillaged a once stout Carolina rushing defense. By halftime, Mixon accumulated 113 rushing yards and three touchdowns on 15 carries. His 7.5-yard-per-carry average reads as bad as it looked. Already leading 28-0, Mixon caught a 12-yard touchdown pass from Burrow with 11 seconds remaining in the first half.
The game should’ve ended there. Mixon finished with 212 total yards on 26 touches and a franchise-record five touchdowns. Cincinnati ran for 244 yards on 37 carries.
“Things didn’t go our way today. And that falls on everybody. It’s not on one person. That’s a full-blown team loss,” quarterback Baker Mayfield said. “That first half was just bad football all around, all three phases. It just wasn’t good. It was flat. And it wasn’t us.”
Mixon’s yardage total at halftime was five times more than the Panthers’ 17 net yards gained. At halftime, the Bengals had more points than Carolina had yards. The Bengals ran more plays (45) than the Panthers had total yards. The Panthers had more penalty yards (30) than total yards. Carolina was allowing an average of 127 rush yards per game going into Sunday. By halftime, Mixon outgained that average by nearly 30 yards.
The Panthers did not gain their first first down until the 3:06 mark of the second quarter. It came via a defensive penalty. It took until the third quarter (after benching starting quarterback PJ Walker) for Carolina’s offense to pick up a first down.
Mayfield took over for Walker and threw two second-half touchdowns against the Bengals’ backup defense. Cincinnati pulled most of its starters, including Burrow and Mixon, halfway through the second half.
“I made a couple of boneheaded mistakes on offense,” Walker said. “It was flat out there today. It was flat all around.”
Walker was abysmal, throwing two first-half interceptions before being benched at halftime. After throwing for a career-high 312 yards last week against Atlanta, Walker netted a career-low 9 yards on 3-of-10 passing.
The Panthers ran 13 first-half plays, setting a franchise low for plays in a half.
“We gave up the last interception right there before half,” Wilks said of benching Walker, “and I felt like we needed to change.”
After the game, Wilks did not name a starter for next week.
“I want to win,” Mayfield said. “Whatever my role is, and however I can help, that’s what I want to do.”
The Panthers were penalized seven times for 50 yards, including five neutral zone violations. Wilks called the defensive line penalties inexcusable.
Carolina (2-7) set the type of records that make fans turn their televisions off. The Panthers’ 35-point halftime deficit was the largest in franchise history, breaking a record set in 2019 against the Saints. The Bengals’ 311 net yards were the most allowed in the first half since 2012.
The Panthers’ lone bright spot came via Terrace Marshall, who scored his first career touchdown in the fourth quarter. He finished with three catches for 53 yards and a score. Rookie running back Raheem Blackshear also scored his first career touchdown. He converted a 2-yard touchdown run with 1:28 to play.
Panthers cornerback Donte Jackson did not play despite being active. Wilks said Jackson was ready “in case of an emergency.” Jackson is dealing with a nagging ankle injury. Defensive tackle Derrick Brown did not finish the game due to an illness. Wilks said Brown reported cold symptoms Saturday night at the team hotel. He tried enduring the illness but could not continue after the second quarter.
The Panthers have lost four of their past six games and two in a row. The team’s season is on the line next week when the Falcons visit Bank of America Stadium on Thursday night. Atlanta (4-5) entered Sunday in first place of the NFC South but lost to the Chargers.
“We got to put this one behind us. We have to be professionals,” Wilks said. “It’s one game. We got a divisional opponent this week, Thursday night. We got to be ready to play.”
This story was originally published November 6, 2022 at 4:16 PM.
