CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Carolina Panthers defensive tackle Kawann Short didn’t like what he saw from Minnesota Vikings quarterback Sam Bradford in the second half of Sunday’s loss.
“As a defensive line, you want to see those quarterbacks get scared and move off their spots," the 2015 Pro Bowl selection said. “That’s one thing we didn’t do. As far as up the middle, I take credit for that. We didn’t get enough push and get that guy off his spot.
“When you see a quarterback back there, poised and looking through his reads, that’s not good for the defense as far as the defensive tackles. We didn’t get a good push."
The Panthers sacked Bradford twice -- both in the first half -- which isn’t horrible. But they hit him only three times total, which defensive coordinator Sean McDermott bluntly said “is not enough."
The lack of pressure is a big reason Bradford, Denver’s Trevor Siemian and San Francisco’s Blaine Gabbert have had more success than expected against a defense that prides itself on making quarterbacks uncomfortable.
The Panthers (1-2) have only six sacks through three games. One of those came from rookie defensive tackle Vernon Butler, who will miss the next few games with a high ankle sprain.
One came from Lavar Edwards, a recent acquisition who didn’t have a sack in his first three NFL seasons.
Don’t look for veteran Kyle Love, signed Tuesday to temporarily replace Butler, to change things much. He had only three sacks for Carolina the last two seasons, with all three coming in 2016.
But there are reasons for the lack of pressure. Denver and Minnesota in particular countered Carolina’s pressure with a lot of three-step drops in a quick passing game.
They were able to do that in part because Carolina’s young corners are playing further off the ball, making sure plays are kept in front of them.
The Panthers played more press coverage last season with Pro Bowl cornerback Josh Norman.
“If the ball is coming out, you can only do so many things," McDermott said. “You’ve got to cover. ... Let’s not getting carried away with stats of hitting the quarterback. Affecting the quarterback is what we look at."
That didn’t happen Sunday and Short took some of the blame. Many may blame Short in general for the lack of pressure this season. He doesn’t have a sack in the first three games after leading the team with 11 last season.
That is disappointing to a player who was seeking to be paid among the highest tackles in the NFL during the offseason before negotiations stalled.
But slow starts are nothing new for Short. He didn’t have a sack in the first four games each of the last two seasons.
So McDermott isn’t concerned.
“He’s been playing well in the run game," he said. “He started to generate some rush later in the game [Sunday]. He’s starting to get into his rhythm, which is good to see. We need to see him come in that particularly area."
Sunday’s game at Atlanta might be what the doctor ordered. Short had a pair of sacks in both games against the Falcons (2-1) last season.
The Panthers have a combined 24 sacks in their last five games against Atlanta. They’ve sacked Matt Ryan 22 times during that span, collecting six at Atlanta in 2014 and nine in 2013.
The sacks work hand-in-hand with forcing turnovers, as well.
“At the end of the day," McDermott said, “we need to affect the quarterback, whether that is with tight coverage, getting the quarterback off his spot, getting the quarterback to pull the ball down, hitting the quarterback."
