Much of the spotlight has fallen on quarterback Bryce Young after another loss. The No. 1 pick in 2023 has been criticized for another uneven performance as the Carolina Panthers’ offense sputtered.
But inside the building, the defense isn’t letting the blame fall solely on the quarterback’s shoulders. Instead, they’re taking ownership of their own breakdowns.
Halfway through the third quarter, New England Patriots tight end Hunter Henry caught a pass over the middle and ran into the end zone. Cornerback Chau Smith-Wade had a shot to force him out of bounds, but instead gambled for a turnover that never came.
Carolina Panthers using accountability as their biggest teaching method
“I was looking to make a play, and I should have just stuck with what our standard is,” Smith-Wade admitted. “The first player makes the tackle. The second guy goes for the punch. I kind of overrode that. It boils down to the standard of how we play on defense.”
Head coach Dave Canales didn’t sugarcoat the miscue. “Secure the tackle first. Knock him out of bounds, and we’ll keep playing football,” he said. “That’s the standard.”
What stood out most after the loss wasn’t finger-pointing; it was ownership. Smith-Wade faced the music himself, and veterans like Jaycee Horn made sure the message stuck in real time.
“Jaycee’s one of those vets who’s going to hold everybody accountable,” Smith-Wade said. “He said what he needed to say, and I heard him out. I was in the wrong.”
Defensive lineman Tershawn Wharton echoed that the loss was about a collective lapse. “People are going to make mistakes. The other team gets paid too,” Wharton said. “It’s about the next play mentality. We can’t dwell on it.”
The defensive collapse was especially brutal considering the Panthers had shut out the Atlanta Falcons just a week earlier, a game where Smith-Wade himself scored on a pick-six.
“We didn’t get off to an amazing start like we did last week,” Smith-Wade admitted. “That’s part of the standard too: starting fast and finishing strong. We didn’t do either.”
Despite the disappointing result, players insist the foundation remains strong. Wharton, who has been part of championship-caliber defenses on the Kansas City Chiefs before arriving in Carolina, wasn’t shaken.
“I came here with a purpose and a reason,” he said. “We’re just continuing to build our culture and we’ll be fine.”
The Panthers’ defense knows their previous showing was an embarrassment. But by taking accountability, leaning on leadership, and recommitting to their standard, they also believe it was a lesson that won’t be wasted.