North Charlotte Today

As wide receiver Diontae Johnson approached reporters in the locker room, he expressed a familiar sentiment. "Same old, same old," he said after the Carolina Panthers suffered a 40-7 loss to the Washington Commanders. The offense struggled from the start, failing to recover from early setbacks.

Quarterback Andy Dalton's two interceptions set the tone for a challenging game. One interception was returned for a 67-yard touchdown, leaving the Panthers trailing with little hope of recovery. When asked if there were any positives from the defeat, Dalton responded decisively, "No, not today."

The Panthers' performance contrasted sharply with their previous games. Despite challenges faced by an understaffed defense, the team had managed to move the ball effectively and protect Dalton in earlier matches. On Sunday, however, they only managed 95 rushing yards and Dalton threw for just 93 yards.

Head coach Dave Canales noted that part of the issue lay in execution failures during crucial moments. A failed fourth-down attempt exemplified this when Chuba Hubbard was tackled for a loss by Washington linebacker Dante Fowler Jr., who broke through nearly untouched.

"Part of that's on me; part of that's just allowing them to just hammer the core of our principles," Canales stated. He emphasized that Sunday's result did not reflect their usual identity as a team.

Despite scoring late in the game with Hubbard's touchdown—his fourth of the season—Canales recognized it as only a brief glimpse of their potential. "Mustered up a nice drive there at the end; we look like us," he commented.

Turnovers played a significant role in shaping Sunday's outcome. "Starts with the football," Canales explained. He highlighted that taking care of possession is essential for competitiveness in games.

Dalton acknowledged responsibility for his interceptions and reflected on necessary improvements: "We really have to put this behind us... For us, there's so many little details that we're going to go back and look at."

He also dismissed any notion that tactical surprises from Washington contributed significantly to their struggles: "No, this was us," Dalton affirmed.