January 10, 2015; Seattle, WA, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton (1) loses possession of the ball against the defense of Seattle Seahawks defensive end O'Brien Schofield (93) during the first half in the 2014 NFC Divisional playoff football game at CenturyLink Field. Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports
CHARLOTTE — If the Carolina Panthers were going to knock off the defending Super Bowl champs at a place where they’ve lost just twice since 2012, they would have to be pretty much flawless. They weren’t.
Carolina’s defense allowed the Seahawks to rack up seven plays of 20-plus yards, and the offense couldn’t get out of its own way in the first and fourth quarters. Quarterback Cam Newton was especially sloppy, giving the ball away three times.
“(I) did a bad job of protecting the football, and when you’re playing a great defense you just have to take what they give you,” Newton said. “A lot of times, I was overlooking the play that needed to be made instead of trying to make the bigger play.”
Newton’s first turnover came midway through the first quarter when he underthrew receiver Philly Brown. The play was about as good as a punt, but Newton and Brown weren’t going to beat cornerback Richard Sherman, who leaped to snag his league-leading 25th interception since 2011.
On the Panthers’ next drive, they picked up their initial first down of the game with 3:12 left in the opening quarter. Two plays later, a mix-up between Newton and running back Jonathan Stewart, plus a free rusher allowed by left tackle Byron Bell, equaled another turnover.
“That was a read play. I don’t think it was blocked right, but that’s what happens when you play in a hostile environment. A lot of people heard one thing, and others heard something else,” Newton said.
Despite the errors and a 14-point deficit, a rally remained possible when the Panthers drove to the Seahawks’ 13-yard line midway through the fourth quarter. On second down, Newton’s first read was receiver Brenton Bersin, but he slipped in his route. Newton then turned and fired to tight end Ed Dickson.
“At that point, we still had a chance, we’re still in there fighting,” coach Ron Rivera said. “Who knows what would have happened if we could have scored a touchdown there. Instead, it goes the other way.”
Safety Kam Chancellor, the best defender on the field Saturday night, read the play perfectly. He jumped in front of Dickson and returned the interception 90 yards, effectively ending the Panthers’ season.
“We made some mistakes. We missed some opportunities. They did some things that lead to winning championships,” Rivera said. “They scored on defense; they took the ball away. You have to give them credit; they’re a good football team.”
–After leading the Panthers’ defense to a top-10 ranking for the third straight year, defensive coordinator Sean McDermott will interview for a head-coaching job for the second straight year. McDermott will meet with the Jets on Wednesday about their opening.
When he was asked if he had any interviews lined up after Saturday’s season-ending loss in Seattle, McDermott replied: “This hurts right here. This hurts. My focus has been totally on this team and this defense.”
McDermott interviewed for the Redskins opening last year, a job that eventually went to Jay Gruden.
In 2011, McDermott’s first season in Carolina, the Panthers’ defense ranked 28th. Since then, they’ve finished 10th, 2nd, and 10th.
–Kelvin Benjamin had the best rookie season a Panthers receiver has ever had. He was not impressed.
“I feel like I had a bad season,” Benjamin said after Saturday night’s year-ending loss in Seattle.
Benjamin destroyed team rookie records with 73 receptions, 1,008 yards and nine touchdowns. He then added 11 catches, 108 yards, and two touchdowns in the playoffs. But during the regular season, he finished with the second-most drops (11) in the league, and he scored just once in Carolina’s final four games.
“I had a lot of drops,” Benjamin admitted. “I have to do a better job staying healthy throughout the season. I think I slowed down. So I think I’m going to do a better job, just taking care of my body and staying focused.”
REPORT CARD VS. SEAHAWKS
–PASSING OFFENSE: C-minus — The Panthers passed for more yards (230) against the Seahawks than any team since the Giants (270) in Week 10, but QB Cam Newton made at least two big mistakes. His first interception — when he tried to beat CB Richard Sherman on a deep ball — was almost as good as a punt. But Newton’s second interception, which was returned 90 yards by S Kam Chancellor, ended Carolina’s chances.
–RUSHING OFFENSE: B — The Panthers rushed for 132 yards, becoming just the second team since Week 12 to rush for more than 100 against the Seahawks. Since Carolina trailed the entire second half, RB Jonathan Stewart was limited to 13 carries.
–PASS DEFENSE: D — The Panthers allowed their most passing yards (248) since they gave up 260 to the Falcons in Week 11. Seahawks QB Russell Wilson was 8-for-8 on third down for 193 yards and three touchdowns.
–RUSH DEFENSE: B-plus — The Seahawks rushed for 100 yards, becoming just the second Panthers’ opponent to rush for at least 100 in the last nine weeks. RB Marshawn Lynch had a 25-yard run that set up a field goal, but his 13 other rushes gained just 34 yards.
–SPECIAL TEAMS: B — Kicker Graham Gano made his only field-goal attempt. Panthers return teams did nothing of note, while the kicking teams did not allow any big returns.
–COACHING: C-plus — Coach Ron Rivera convinced his team they could win in Seattle, but the execution was lacking. There was not much creativity on the offensive side, and the defense could not figure out a way to get off the field on third downs against Wilson.
