CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Observed and heard in the locker room after the Carolina Panthers'
31-24 victory over the Chicago Bears:
Defensive end Charles Johnson was holding a football that coach Ron Rivera had dropped by his locker a few seconds earlier. To paraphrase, Rivera told Johnson he’s been “wanting one of these, now you’ve got it." Johnson didn’t want a game ball. He wanted a sack. Third on Carolina’s all-time sack list, he didn’t have one in the first four games and was feeling pressure.
The best quote came from Johnson as well. Asked about Carolina getting four sacks after having only one the previous two weeks, Johnson said defensive coordinator Sean McDermott came in at halftime and “took the chains off and told us to go eat."
Quarterback Cam Newton, before he took off his pads and before he went for treatment, stopped by the locker of rookie wide receiver Kelvin Benjamin to let him know he was going to be “on his ass" this week. Benjamin had a couple of big drops that could have made Newton’s final rating look even better and the win a little easier. It was all playful, though.
Wide receiver Philly Brown explained how he was talking to the official about throwing a flag against the Bears for interfering with him catching a first-quarter punt when he noticed the ball on the ground. You might know the rest of the story by now. Brown picked up the ball and returned it 79 yards for his first NFL touchdown. He also ended Carolina’s streak of 164 games, the longest in the league, with no returns for touchdowns.
It was hard to tell what made tight end Greg Olsen happier, catching two touchdown passes, beating his former team or having all three of his kids at a game for the first time. Knowing all he’s gone through with his son T.J.’s third surgery on his heart, I’m guessing the kids.
A lot of questions about Carolina (3-2) leading the NFC South despite playing horribly the past two weeks.
