Inside Slant

The Sports Xchange

November 15, 2018 at 12:24 am.

Panthers glad for break after loss to Steelers

The Carolina Panthers had an array of topics to address during what was certainly a long weekend in some regards without a game.

But trying to piece together any sense of the 52-21 loss at Pittsburgh on a Thursday night gave the Panthers lots of fodder.

“Guys trying to do things that they don’t need to try to do,” Panthers head coach Ron Rivera said. “A lot of good things happened for a three-game stretch and unfortunately we made mistakes. Sometimes you’ve got to take your medicine. … A very humbling experience to get beat the way we did.”

The setback came following a three-game winning streak, so it’s not like the Panthers (6-3) are in a freefall.

They’re back in action Sunday at Detroit, where the Lions (3-6) hold a three-game losing streak and would certainly appear to be in a much more desperate situation.

But the Panthers know they can’t afford to move on without getting some things right.

“We’ll come up with some things,” Rivera said, noting the extra time for evaluation was put to good use.

The 52 points allowed tied the franchise record for points given up, matching a 2000 Christmas Eve game against the Oakland Raiders.

There were some problems that were situational. For instance, the Panthers didn’t handle the Pittsburgh pass rush well, but given the deficit it was clear what Carolina’s intentions were. Not detecting what was happening on the fly might have been the biggest cause for some alarm.

“It’s being able to recognize certain things,” Rivera said.

Because of quarterback Cam Newton’s ability to escape trouble in the pocket, the Panthers aren’t used to giving up big sacks.

“It is critical,” Rivera said. “Guys are going to look at this game and see what (the Steelers) did.”

The Panthers also saw things that hadn’t been so painful in the past. Rookie cornerback Donte Jackson was exposed at times, so while it’s not out of the ordinary for a first-year player it’s something to address.

And the Panthers aren’t about to pin the blame exclusively on the secondary. The defense’s pass rush hasn’t been up to par.

“We have to keep rolling these guys until we see something really click on the pass-rush side,” Rivera said.

The Panthers are hoping that the mini-break with extra time between games proved helpful. Rivera suggested that the players get away from football for a few days, and he liked what he saw when practice resumed this week.

The Panthers scored a late touchdown at Pittsburgh. Rivera said perhaps there’s some carryover into the Detroit game from a positive moment on a dismal night.

The good thing is there’s plenty of more football for the Panthers, who appear in solid shape in pursuit of a spot in the playoffs.

“I’d like to think we’ll have more than seven weeks left,” Rivera said. “I don’t think (the Pittsburgh game was) indicative of the type of football team we are. One game is not going to define who we are going forward.”

SERIES HISTORY: 9th regular-season meeting. Panthers lead series, 6-2. The Panthers won 27-24 last season in October at Detroit. This will be the fourth time during a six-game stretch in the series that the teams play in Detroit.

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