CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Carolina Panthers defensive end Charles Johnson finally had something to talk about on Sunday.
After going the first four games without a sack, Johnson was feeling self-imposed pressure. When you're the team's highest-paid player, and your forte is sacks, the zero beside your name starts to stand out.
Johnson was so frustrated that he avoided media during the week and after games recently, particularly the past two weeks when Baltimore and Pittsburgh outscored the Panthers, 75-29.
"I wasn't hiding," Johnson said. "If I'm not doing nothing, I don't feel like talking about it."
Johnson was ready to talk following Sunday's 31-24 victory over Chicago. The whole defense was, but particularly Johnson, who sacked quarterback Jay Cutler for a six-yard loss with about nine minutes remaining and Carolina trailing by three.
Normally quiet and not very animated, Johnson took off high stepping like it was the first sack of his NFL career instead of No. 55 that moved him within half a sack of Mike Rucker for second on Carolina's all-time list.
"It felt good, man," Johnson said. "What can I say? Anytime you keep working and working and working and don't get results that you want, it puts a little stress on you.
"A lot of responsibility comes if you're a big-time player like that. That was one of those plays [to] get the monkey off your back."
The entire defense got the monkey off its back to a degree. A unit that led the league with 60 sacks last season had only one in the past two games. It hadn't forced a turnover, either.
The Panthers had four sacks and forced four turnovers against Chicago, with two of the sacks and three of the turnovers coming in the final 10 minutes.
The lack of discipline and pressure that had haunted them the past two weeks was corrected.
Johnson credited defensive coordinator Sean McDermott, who at halftime made a few adjustments to what already was a good game plan. Although Chicago had 21 points, 14 came on short fields following turnovers.
This looked more like the defense that ranked second in the NFL a year ago. There were more third-and-long situations. That freed the defensive front to come hard without having to respect the line. That allowed the linebackers to drop back into coverage and keep plays in front of them.
"Just putting trust in the D-line," Johnson said. "[McDermott] kind of took the chains off and told us to go eat."
One person isn't the key to Carolina's defense, although sometimes it seems that way with middle linebacker Luke Kuechly racking up another 15 tackles.
It works like dance partners, the defensive front needing to stop the run and pressure the quarterback to set up opportunities for the secondary.
But Johnson is key. The Panthers need him pressuring the quarterback more now than ever with 2013 sack leader Greg Hardy likely out the rest of the season as he waits for his domestic violence case to be resolved.
Johnson didn't address that directly, but when asked about the off-the-field distractions that had to contribute to recent struggles, he said, "I agree. There was a lot of stuff going on."
There was a lot going on against Chicago, mostly good after it was 21-7. But coach Ron Rivera did seek Johnson out in particular afterward to deliver him a game ball.
Johnson was ready to talk about it, too.
