After loss to the Browns, players and coaches said they had to be “smarter”

When asked about the Okereke penalty, Canales said it was unfortunate, but it can’t happen.

“I saw him get hit in the head by somebody’s hands; I don’t know who that was, but we can’t do that,” Canales said. “We have to go lower on the quarterback when the ball’s in the air; you have to make that decision right at the end to either put your hands on the quarterback or not, and we made the wrong decision in that case and extended the drive. And then he was able to create a little bit of extra time on the scramble play, which is something that he can do well, and so, we can do a better job there as well.”

Again, it wasn’t just one play. For an entire half, the Panthers didn’t look like themselves.

They entered the game first in the league in passing offense (312.5 yards per game), second in scoring (35.5 points per game), and fourth in total yards (409.0).

But in the first half, their best offensive plays were roughing-the-passer penalties against the Browns.

Other than a 30-yard catch-and-run by Chuba Hubbard — who was held to 18 yards on 10 carries — and a 17-yarder to Tommy Tremble, the Panthers didn’t have a play longer than 13 yards.

They managed just 113 yards in the first half, and just 18 yards on 10 carries by Hubbard.

That left them settling for field goals, and seeming fortunate to get those.