Carolina Panthers defense can’t handle Julio Jones, Falcons

It had been 392 days since the Carolina Panthers last lost a regular-season game.

But cornerback Josh Norman hadn’t forgotten what it felt like.

“Guys are not used to losing,” Norman said in a quiet visitors locker room at the Georgia Dome. “It kind of sucks, man.”

The Panthers’ run at perfection came to an end in the cavernous dome where they’d clinched the NFC South the past two seasons. But after a 20-13 loss on Sunday, there were no “division champs” hats being passed out or music blaring in the locker room – just a lot of downcast players trying to figure out where it went wrong.

And while the offense failed to muster another touchdown after its opening drive, the defense gave up 373 yards to a team it throttled in a 38-0 shutout in Charlotte two weeks earlier.

“I think we were just purely outplayed today,” strong safety Roman Harper said. “And we couldn’t come out there and win at the end. That’s all we’ve done is find ways to win all year and we couldn’t do that today.”

Panthers coach Ron Rivera won’t have to answer questions about playing his starters Week 17 against Tampa Bay. With Arizona (13-2) beating Green Bay on Sunday, the Panthers (14-1) will need to beat the Bucs or have the Cardinals lose to Seattle to clinch the top seed in the NFC playoffs.

But he can expect more questions about a secondary that has given up pass receptions of 40 yards or more in four consecutive games.

The Falcons’ big play was a killer – a 70-yard touchdown catch by Julio Jones that quarterback Matt Ryan kept alive by rolling out of the pocket and motioning for Jones to go deep.

Jones had two defenders around him. But free safety Kurt Coleman fell down and Jones outleaped middle linebacker Luke Kuechly, who said he mistimed his jump. Jones’ score gave the Falcons (8-7) a 14-10 lead late in the third quarter, and the Panthers never led again.

“I was running down the field. Matt threw one up there. Julio made a great play on it,” Kuechly said. “Really that’s all it is. I thought I was in a good spot. But he went up and got it.”

Norman, who was selected to his first Pro Bowl last week, has had better days. Jones caught five passes for 80 yards when Norman was covering him, and finished with nine catches for 178 yards and the decisive score.

“He got some plays. He did. He fought well. He battled. He’s a strong guy. He’s one of the best receivers in the league ... and he came to play today,” Norman said. “We did as well. I think they just got one more play than we did.”

Roddy White, whom Norman referred to as the Falcons’ fifth receiver last week, caught five passes for 67 yards – higher totals than any Panthers’ wideout.

“Those guys do a lot of talking. But that’s OK,” White said. “Hopefully one day (Norman) can play as long as I can and maybe one day he can get paid as much as I (have).”

A week after his personal grudge match with Giants receiver Odell Beckham resulted in $26,000 in fines for Norman and a one-game suspension for Beckham, Norman seemed to play with less swagger than usual.

The officials might have had something to do with it. The officiating crew were lined across the 50-yard line to keep the teams separated during the pregame.

And after corner Charles Tillman and White went to the ground after an incompletion on Atlanta’s first offensive series, Tillman was whistled for unnecessary roughness. Instead of a three-and-out, the Falcons ended up driving 80 yards – and converting four third downs – tying the game at 7.

Panthers coach Ron Rivera said he planned to talk to the league about the play. Tillman said the call could have gone either way, but apologized to his team after the game for losing his cool.

“It was a third-down play. We were off the field,” Tillman said. “A veteran player, I should be smarter than that. That was completely a selfish play on my part and I’m sorry.”

Norman said it was clear the officials tried early to prevent the game from unraveling like the Giants’ game, when Beckham was called for three personal fouls and Norman picked up two.

“They had the grips on the game early,” Norman said. “They didn’t let it get out of hand.”

But Norman didn’t necessarily agree with the notion that the events of last week took a little of the edge off him.

“I don’t know. I think I played pretty hard,” Norman said. “The plays that were made, you’ve got to tip the hats off to the offense. They get paid, too.”

The secondary wasn’t exclusively to blame for Ryan’s 306-yard passing game, the first allowed by Carolina since Aaron Rodgers threw for 369 on Nov. 8.

The Panthers’ defensive ends again failed to apply consistent pressure, Ryan broke contain on the touchdown to Jones and Carolina’s only two sacks came from defensive tackle Kawann Short (again).

But long after most of his teammates had headed for the buses, Norman stood in front of his locker room and pointed out the dome wasn’t caving in on the Panthers.

“We’re fortunate to be in this position. We’re 14-1,” Norman said. “How many other teams in the league can say that?”

That would be zero.

This story was originally published December 27, 2015 at 7:13 PM with the headline "Carolina Panthers defense can’t handle Julio Jones, Falcons."