After an 0-3 start to the season, head coach Frank Reich and the Carolina Panthers came into Week 4 with a fresher mindset. Unfortunately, it all ended with a similar result.
The Panthers moved to 0-4 this afternoon after falling to the visiting Minnesota Vikings, 21-13. And Reich, who may be experiencing a grueling cycle of Groundhog Day, was asked how he can propel his team out of the hole.
“We’re not gonna finger point,” he replied. “We’re gonna go back to work. We’re all gonna own it. We gotta get better. Kind of our theme this week a little bit was talk is talk, it’s time for action. So, that’s we what we gotta do. We gotta get back to work.
“There’s a lot of games left. We take ’em one at a time. Whether we win the rest of them or whatever we do, we’re professionals.”
The games, sadly, don’t get any easier. Before they jump into their Week 7 bye, the Panthers will make a pair of tough road trips—one to see the 3-1 Detroit Lions in Week 5 and the second to see the 3-1 Miami Dolphins in Week 6.
If Carolina is to have a chance in those daunting matchups, they’ll need to make a notable step forward on offense. Sunday’s defeat saw the Panthers, whose only touchdown came off a 99-yard interception return by safety Sam Franklin, total just 232 yards and allow five sacks of quarterback Bryce Young.
Reich, however, thinks they’re getting there.
“I believe, in some ways, we’re getting better,” he added. “In other ways, we still have a long ways to go. I feel like we’ve been in every one of these games in the fourth quarter and have had an opportunity to win every one in the fourth quarter. So I really don’t think we’re that far away. In some respects, I feel like we’re close. In other respects, I feel like we’ve got a long way to go—coaching and playing to get it right.”
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