Patriots 24, Panthers 6: Instant reaction as Darnold throws 3 INTs, including pick-6

The Carolina Panthers’ one-time quarterback of the future looked very much like their quarterback of the past in a nasty 24-6 home loss to the New England Patriots on Sunday.

Leave it to Sam Darnold to make Panther fans pine for the days of Teddy Bridgewater, but Darnold managed to do it again with a three-interception performance that short-circuited the inept Panthers (4-5). Darnold was booed vociferously by the home fans several times during the game.

It looked for much of the week like Darnold wasn’t going to play against New England (5-4) due to the concussion he sustained in the previous game. Panther fans undoubtedly wished he had taken Sunday off to rest after this performance. Backup quarterback P.J. Walker stayed on the bench the entire game, even though he took the majority of the first-team reps during practice.

Granted, Darnold’s already weak offensive line lost two starters in the first half. But he also had Christian McCaffrey back for the first time since Sept. 23, as well as a running game that even without McCaffrey managed 203 yards the week before in a win.

But that was against the Atlanta Falcons, and this was the Patriots — not the Patriots of old, but still with Bill Belichick at the helm and still able to flummox Darnold just like they used to when he played for the N.Y. Jets. Darnold ended up 16-for-33 for 172 yards, three interceptions and zero TDs — a 26.3 QB rating.

Darnold’s pick-six interception, run back 88 yards by gleeful New England cornerback J.C. Jackson, would get my vote as Darnold’s worst play of the season.

Given that he now has two touchdown passes and eight interceptions over his past five games there are a lot of contenders. But this one, given that Carolina was only down 14-6 at the time and finally moving the ball, felt like the worst. Watching Robby Anderson (one catch, 2 yards) sprint down the field in an unsuccessful attempt to catch Jackson, instead of running down the field with his own deep ball, seemed fitting.

After performances like this one by Darnold, it seems almost inevitable that Carolina is going to have to dip into the quarterback market once again in the offseason.

Tell me who the best five college QBs in the 2022 NFL draft will be. Please.

Gilmore’s INT, O-line injuries

▪ While two of Darnold’s interceptions went to Jackson and were thrown almost right to him, the third is hard to blame on the quarterback. New England linebacker Jamie Collins jumped high to deflect a Darnold bullet from about 10 yards away, but rather than knocking it down he somehow grabbed it with both hands.

▪ New Carolina punter Lachlan Edwards certainly has a big leg, although sometimes he outkicks his coverage.

▪ The Panthers were so concerned about keeping McCaffrey on a pitch count in the first half they had used three running backs in the first 11 minutes.

▪ The offensive line was already the weakest position on the team, and to make matters worse, the Panthers lost two O-line starters to injury in the first half. Center Matt Paradis went out with a knee injury on the very first series and didn’t return. Left tackle Cam Erving, who has been bothered by injury off and on for much of the season, also got hurt again. This time it was a calf injury, and he also didn’t return.

▪ The Panthers like to serenade the visiting team with songs about as far from jock rock as possible just before game time. The Patriots got an inspired choice this time, with the kids’ song “I’m a Little Teapot” blaring from the speakers. It was one of the highlights of the afternoon for the home team.

▪ The Panthers were booed off the field at halftime when they decided against trying to score with a first-and-10 from their own 25 and 24 seconds left, instead using none of their three timeouts and simply letting the clock run out after one 5-yard pass.

▪ Cornerback Stephon Gilmore was a bright spot once again for his new team. In only his second game for the Panthers, he came up with his second interception, shrugging off a pick-play attempt and undercutting a route to pick off New England’s Mac Jones in the second quarter.

▪ Panthers tight end Ian Thomas had some provocation, but his 15-yard penalty for taunting while Carolina was deep in New England territory in the second quarter was inexcusable.

▪ Panthers edge rushers Haason Reddick and Brian Burns both had a first-half sack, and Burns caused a fumble on his.

Jones then held onto Burns’ ankle, trying to make sure Burns didn’t recover the fumble (Frankie Luvu did). Burns, in attempting to twist out of Jones’ grasp, hurt himself on the play but returned to the game. Later, though, in the fourth quarter, he got hurt again and couldn’t put any weight on his right leg when he was helped off the field.

This story was originally published November 7, 2021 at 3:56 PM with the headline "Patriots 24, Panthers 6: Instant reaction as Darnold throws 3 INTs, including pick-6."

Scott Fowler

The Charlotte Observer

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Columnist Scott Fowler has written for The Charlotte Observer since 1994 and has earned 26 APSE awards for his sportswriting. He hosted The Observer’s podcast “Carruth,” which Sports Illustrated once named “Podcast of the Year.” Fowler also conceived and hosted the online series and podcast “Sports Legends of the Carolinas,” which featured 1-on-1 interviews with NC and SC sports icons and was turned into a book. He occasionally writes about non-sports subjects, such as the 5-part series “9/11/74,” which chronicled the forgotten plane crash of Eastern Air Lines Flight 212 in Charlotte on Sept. 11, 1974. Support my work with a digital subscription