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CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Carolina Panthers starting cornerback Josh Thomas practically begged doctors to let him play against the New York Giants nine days ago.

He told them he felt fine, that there were no side effects from the concussion he suffered a week earlier against Buffalo.

When Dr. Jerry Petty said no, Thomas was disappointed.

"Very, very surprised," he said Monday.

And thankful.

As down as Thomas was that he couldn't be a part of the 38-0 victory that coach Ron Rivera hopes is a catalyst for more wins, he's glad the league is taking such a hard stance on concussions to protect the long-term health of the players.

He's fortunate there are doctors thinking about him instead of what the coaches might want.

That the league reached a $765 million settlement over concussion-related brain injuries after more than 4,500 former NFL players filed suit has heightened awareness.

Thomas definitely paid attention.

"I mean, everything is for a good cause," Thomas said. "I understand the volume of what having a concussion is like. I don't take it lightly, and the NFL isn't taking it lightly. That's what you like the most, that they're taking the best interest for the players and not just themselves nowadays."

Thomas has been cleared to play this week against the Arizona Cardinals. He got it shortly after the Giants game.

Now he's back working with the first team after relative unknowns such as cornerback Melvin White and safety Robert Lester stepped up while Thomas and others were spectators.

Carolina (1-2) has gone from searching for enough players to fill the secondary to figuring out who might have to sit against the Cardinals (2-2) as safety Quintin Mikell (ankle) and defensive back D.J. Moore (knee) also are expected back.

"It's going to be an interesting week for us," Rivera said.

But it's a nice problem to have. And having players as selfless as Thomas has to make it a nicer problem.

"Because it's not about me," Thomas said. "It's about that 'W' we got in the last game."

The game may not have been about Thomas, but the decision to hold him out was all about Thomas. It wasn't that long ago that he would have been put back on the field without regard to his health.

"This game is built on entertainment and also safety," Thomas said. "You want to play the game the most safe way possible."

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- More than a few people noticed when Carolina Panthers running back Jonathan Stewart ran at close to full speed down the sideline during Monday's practice.

It was the first time the former first-round pick out of Oregon tested his ankles like that since undergoing offseason surgery.

"And that was exciting,'' coach Ron Rivera said.

Said Stewart, who has struggled in particular with rehabbing the right ankle, "As good as it's felt in a while.''

So could Stewart be ready to come off the physically unable to perform list in two weeks and be ready for the Oct. 20 home game against the St. Louis Rams? Neither Stewart nor Rivera wanted to get too far ahead of themselves, but Monday's workout was encouraging.

"I'm on the coaching side,'' Rivera said. "We get excited about things. [Head trainer] Ryan Vermillion and his people, they've got to be realistic about it.

"But it was really nice to see him go full ... I shouldn't say full speed, but really open up.''

A healthy Stewart would open up a Carolina offense that already ranks third in the NFL in rushing with DeAngelo Williams carrying the bulk of the load (291 yards).

A healthy Stewart could mean a return to the days when Williams and Stewart were nicknamed "Double Trouble.''

Rivera said there have been times already this season where Williams could have used a break on long drives. He also reminded that "everything is eyeing to the postseason,'' so the Panthers (1-2) don't necessarily have to rush Stewart back. A more realistic chance of seeing Stewart might be in Week 8 or 9.

On target to return this week against Arizona is another former Oregon running back, Kenjon Barner, who has been out since suffering an ankle injury in the preseason finale.

Barner definitely will be used to spell Williams and give Carolina a different look with his breakaway speed.

"He's a very diverse football player,'' Rivera said of this year's sixth-round pick. "He has the ability to run the football and catch it, and he's learned how to pass protect. A lot of [how he's used] has to do with play calling and the flow.''

Not good enough: Much of the attention before a 38-0 victory over the New York Giants was on how well Carolina practiced after an 0-2 start.

Monday's first workout after the bye weekend wasn't that good.

"Practice was good, but it wasn't good enough, and I let them know that at the end,'' Rivera said. "They did some really good things, but as we talked about, to win football games we've got to practice the whole way.''

That may be especially true coming into a game against a 2-2 Arizona team that had to rally to beat winless Tampa Bay on Sunday.

"We've just got to make sure everybody is on the same page, everybody is pushing, because we have a chance to build momentum coming off a win,'' Rivera said.

Injury updates: Starting left cornerback Josh Thomas (concussion) has been cleared to play this week after being held out against New York. Defensive tackle Dwan Edwards (thigh) and safety Quintin Mikell (ankle), who also missed the Giants game, were not in pads on Monday and did not practice in full. They will be evaluated again on Wednesday.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- A member of the Carolina Panthers staff joked last week that he'd never heard an NFL head coach say it was a bad time to have a bye week.

Sure enough, coach Ron Rivera said Week 4 was a good time for the Panthers (1-2) to have a bye.

Here are four reasons why:

You can't lose: Not to be a smart aleck, but when you don't play you can't lose. The Panthers actually moved into sole possession of second place in the NFC South thanks to losses by Atlanta (1-3) to New England and Tampa Bay (0-4) to Arizona. A loss by the New Orleans Saints (3-0) against Miami (3-0) on Monday night and they could close the gap on first.

But they did lose ground in that only five NFC teams had a better record going into Week 4 and seven do now.

Time to heal: Defensive tackle Dwan Edwards got another week to heal a thigh injury that sidelined him for Week 3. The Panthers need Edwards to maintain the solid rotation they want on the line. It also basically gave linebacker Jon Beason, who seems to be missing a step since returning from offseason knee surgery, a two-week break. He was in for only one play against the New York Giants. Cornerback Josh Thomas (concussion) and safety Quintin Mikell (ankle) also should be back this week.

Evaluation: The early break gives the coaching staff a week to break down everything that they've done right and wrong, and correct those things before they get too deep into the season.

Head start: Not that Arizona is lighting it up at 2-2, but the break gives the Panthers an extra week to prepare for the Cardinals. The only way the 38-0 victory over the Giants means anything is to follow it up with another victory. That didn't happen a year ago when Carolina lost five straight after improving to 1-1.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Either the Carolina Panthers or New York Giants will win for the first time this season in Sunday's 1 p.m. ET game at Bank of America Stadium.

Unless they play to a rare tie, that is.

Here are three keys for the Panthers:

Licking his chops: Giants quarterback Eli Manning has to be salivating over what he'll see in Carolina's secondary. There will be rookie Robert Lester starting at strong safety. Mike Mitchell is playing a new position, moving from strong safety to free. Left cornerback Josh Thomas is out after suffering a concussion in Week 2, and his backup, Josh Norman, has a deep thigh bruise. Veteran Drayton Florence is back from what he calls a "two-week vacation'' after being cut. This unit was suspect even before the injuries, allowing opposing quarterbacks to complete 72.2 percent of their passes. That the Giants' passing game ranks No. 1 in the NFL makes this even more of a mismatch. But maybe this will be a reverse of last season, when New York came to town with key injuries at wide receiver and running back and posted a 36-7 victory. "If you're sleeping on our secondary, you'll get a rude awakening,'' Mitchell said.

Now or never for Newton: If Panthers' quarterback Cam Newton wants to prove he's a true leader, this is his opportunity. An 0-3 start would make him truly the "Forgotten 1,'' as the ESPN the Magazine headline suggested. But in order to take charge, offensive coordinator Mike Shula may have to turn Newton loose. So far in Shula's more-traditional attack, Newton has rushed only nine times for 53 yards. He's passed for only 354 yards. Twenty-seven quarterbacks in the league have thrown for more. The Giants haven't done much in terms of pressuring the quarterback or stopping the pass, so perhaps this is Newton's opportunity.

Playmakers make plays: That's the challenge by Carolina coach Ron Rivera. So far, Carolina has 20 pass plays of 20-plus yards. Opponents have eight. Carolina has three sacks, none from Greg Hardy, who suggested 50 was his goal this season. Opponents have seven, with Buffalo's Mario Williams collecting 4.5 last week. As mentioned above, Newton has passed for 354 yards; his counterparts have passed for 607. I could go on, but you get Rivera's points. Carolina's stars have to start starring to get this team over the hump.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The Carolina Panthers will be without starting cornerback Josh Thomas and possibly starting defensive tackle Dwan Edwards on Sunday against the New York Giants.

That's not good news for an 0-2 team that will face quarterback Eli Manning and the league's top passing game.

Team officials said on Friday that Thomas was not cleared by doctors after suffering a concussion in Sunday's 24-23 loss at Buffalo. Thomas practiced on Thursday and Friday and, according to coach Ron Rivera, passed all the necessary team tests.

But as Thomas wrote on Twitter:

I will not be playing this NYGiants game for precautionary reasons (doctor). Still put together a week of great team practice.

— Josh Thomas (@Josh_Thomas22) September 20, 2013

Edwards missed his third straight day of practice on Friday with a thigh injury.

"Not looking good," said Rivera, adding a decision on Edwards' status will be made on Saturday.

If Edwards can't play, Colin Cole will start beside rookie Star Lotulelei.

Rivera left it open that either veteran Drayton Florence or Josh Norman would start on the left side for Thomas. Florence was signed on Wednesday night after being among the final cuts in the preseason.

Norman has been fighting through a deep thigh bruise and sprained knee.

Safety Quintin Mikell (ankle), corner D.J. Moore (foot) and running back Kenjon Barner (foot) already have been ruled out. Backup corner James Dockery (thumb/shoulder) will be a game-time decision.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Carolina Panthers starting defensive tackle Dwan Edwards missed his third straight day of practice on Friday and is in doubt for Sunday's 1 p.m. game against the New York Giants.

"Not looking good," coach Ron Rivera said on Friday.

Edwards has been battling a thigh injury. Rivera said a decision on his status will be made on Saturday. If Edwards can't play Colin Cole will start beside rookie Star Lotulelei.

The good news is starting left cornerback Josh Thomas practiced for the second straight day after suffering a concussion on Sunday against Buffalo.

Thomas still has to be cleared by doctors, but Rivera said the third-year player has passed all the required team tests and he is optimistic he'll be cleared by the league.

If not cleared, Rivera left it open that either veteran Drayton Florence or Josh Norman would start. Florence was signed on Wednesday night after being among the final cuts in the preseason.

Safety Quintin Mikell (ankle), corner D.J. Moore (foot) and running back Kenyon Barner (foot) already have been ruled out. Backup corner James Dockery (thumb/shoulder) will be a game-time decision.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- There's nothing like a two-week vacation without pay.

That pretty much sums up what happened to veteran cornerback Drayton Florence, who was re-signed by the Carolina Panthers on Wednesday night after being cut following the final preseason game in August.

That pretty much sums up the injury-riddled Carolina secondary.

Florence has gone from taking his son to swim lessons to possibly starting at left corner in Sunday's 1 p.m. game against the New York Giants.

Then there's rookie Robert Lester, who went from the practice squad to definitely starting at strong safety.

When they say next man up in the NFL, they mean it. Florence is just happy for the opportunity after being at home on opening day for the first time since he was selected in the second round of the 2003 draft.

Now he has a couple of days to get ready for the Giants, who lead the league in passing.

"I'm ready,'' Florence said. "This is my opening day.''

Florence most definitely will play. Whether he starts depends on Josh Thomas being cleared by doctors after suffering a concussion in Sunday's 24-23 loss to the Buffalo Bills.

Thomas practiced on a limited basis on Thursday, as did backup Josh Norman (thigh bruise), and is optimistic he'll be cleared.

But as head coach Ron Rivera said, the signing of Florence "was a very prudent move.''

He's insurance.

He's also a veteran who may be able to help a young group that even before the rash of injuries against Buffalo -- the most severe free safety Charles Godfrey lost for the year with a torn Achilles -- struggled to stop the pass.

Opposing quarterbacks have completed 72.2 percent of their attempts, a big reason for the 0-2 start. Only the Washington Redskins at 73.1 are worse.

"It's like he never left,'' Rivera said of Florence. "He did a nice job of understanding what we're doing, the concepts we're using for this game, and he just fit right in. It was good to have him back in the meetings and the practice field. It was kind of neat watching him work with some of the younger guys, too.''

The Panthers need experience even though they are excited about the young, athletic potential of Thomas and Norman. Of the starters without Florence, no member of the secondary has been in the league more than five seasons.

"I always thought it was very athletic,'' Florence said of the secondary before he was cut. "We were taking the underdog approach. It was something we kind of established in training camp.

"[But] those things don't mean much until you start winning games.''

The Panthers need Florence almost as much as he needs them. After several weeks of taking the kids to school in Jacksonville, Fla., his wife "was a little bit tired of me hanging around the house.''

"We're all happy now,'' said Florence, who has offers from right cornerback Captain Munnerlyn and defensive tackle Dwan Edwards to sleep on their couch or spare bed. "I'm just coming here to help the team out anyway I can.''

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Carolina Panthers coach Ron Rivera is concerned that starting defensive tackle Dwan Edwards won't be ready for Sunday's game against the New York Giants.

Edwards missed his second straight day of practice on Thursday with a thigh injury. It is the same injury that had Edwards limited the week before the opener, in which he played.

"Yes there is [a concern],'' Rivera said. "He's an older guy. Nagging thing. He was limited as far as running around. What you're hoping for is tomorrow he runs around and tells you it doesn't grab.''

The good news is cornerbacks Josh Thomas (concussion) and Josh Norman (deep thigh bruise) returned to practice on a limited basis. Thomas still hasn't been cleared by doctors to play, but he remains optimistic.

Rivera indicated that if Thomas isn't cleared, Drayton Florence will start at left cornerback. The veteran was among the final cuts in training camp after starting most of the preseason, but re-signed on Wednesday night.

Rivera said strong safety Quintin Mikell and backup running back Kenjon Barner are out for the Giants. He said rookie Robert Lester will start at strong safety with Mike Mitchell moving from strong to free safety to replace Charles Godfrey, who was put on injured reserve with a torn Achilles.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The Carolina Panthers' secondary situation might not be as dire as advertised.

Starting left cornerback Josh Thomas told ESPN.com he expects to be cleared to play on Thursday. Thomas suffered a concussion in the second quarter of Sunday's 24-23 loss to the Buffalo Bills and has been undergoing the league's mandatory testing.

Mike Mitchell, who was the starting strong safety throughout most of the preseason until suffering a calf injury and losing the job to Quintin Mikell (ankle), will move to free safety to replace Charles Godfrey (Achilles, injured reserve).

Starting right cornerback Captain Munnerlyn is healthy.

So that leaves strong safety as the only spot where the Panthers will be inexperienced. Robert Lester, who was signed from the practice squad on Tuesday, will start as things stand now.

There's also a chance backup cornerback Josh Norman (thigh, knee) could be ready. And James Dockery is back after missing the first two games with a thumb injury.

In other words, the Panthers (0-2) believe they'll be ready on Sunday for the New York Giants (0-2) and quarterback Eli Manning, who is second in the NFL in total passing yards.

"If you're sleeping on our secondary, you'll get a rude awakening,'' Mitchell said defiantly on Wednesday.

Coach Ron Rivera wasn't that enthusiastic. He admitted the secondary is a concern, but it has been throughout the preseason when everybody was healthy.

What Rivera likes is the way players have stepped up, particularly Mitchell.

"He was solid,'' Rivera said of Mitchell's practice. "I'm excited about that.''

The injuries will impact the depth and ability to run nickel packages. But it shouldn't be as bad as it was on Sunday at Buffalo when the Panthers were so thin that they couldn't play nickel for a quarter, and at times had linebackers playing the slot receiver out of a base defense.

Rivera said the team will duplicate those reps in practice this week just in case. He also will rep a cornerback to play safety with the potential for only three healthy players if Mikell is sidelined.

For the most part, the Panthers are taking the wounded animal approach -- as in, you don't approach a wounded animal.

"I was a starter,'' Mitchell said. "I am a starter. I'm going to continue to be one. I love the guys in our secondary. I love the men we have. I want the guys that I have in my room.

"I cannot wait to get out and play this game. Right now we have that underdog, back-against-the-wall mentality. You've got to live for this, man.''

ORCHARD PARK, N.Y. -- The Carolina Panthers' secondary was a huge question mark before Sunday's 24-23 loss to the Buffalo Bills at Ralph Wilson Stadium.

It's an even bigger one now.

Starting free safety Charles Godfrey suffered what coach Ron Rivera called an Achilles injury on his right foot in the third quarter. Starting strong safety Quintin Mikell suffered an ankle injury severe enough he left with a boot cast.

Starting left cornerback Josh Thomas suffered a game-ending concussion early in the second quarter.

There's a chance all three could miss next weekend's game against the New York Giants.

But even before and after the injuries the secondary, which gave up the league's worst opponent completion percentage a year ago, looked suspect. Seattle's Russell Wilson completed 76 percent of his passes for 320 yards last week in a 12-7 victory.

Buffalo rookie EJ Manuel completed 27 of 39 pass attempts for 296 yards, including a game-winning 2-yard toss to a wide-open Stevie Johnson with two seconds remaining.

The last play left cornerback Captain Munnerlyn, the only starter that escaped injury, almost speechless as he sat in front of his locker.

"How to sum it up?'' Munnerlyn said. "We had the game. He had zero timeouts, eighty yards to go, they drove all the way and scored a touchdown.

"Ain't too much you can say. Keep working on Monday. Feel better.''

But can the Panthers feel better about their chances with second- and third-string players to an already suspect group on the field? It's hard to imagine no matter how good the defensive front seven is playing.

"It was a tough day for us,'' strong safety Mike Mitchell said. "That's why it's so important for every guy to be ready to play. I'm trying to choose my words carefully. It's tough. It was tough.''

It won't get any easier.

"I'd say the morale is definitely down,'' said defensive end Greg Hardy, who went without a sack for the second straight game after setting his goal at 50 during the preseason. "The good thing is we've got a lot of games left and a lot of great guys even with the injuries.

"We're going to be more motivated than we are down. We just have to make sure the morale stays up and the guys stay together.''

What guys that will be is the question.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Carolina Panthers cornerback Josh Thomas won't lose his starting job because he lost containment on Seattle's game-winning touchdown.

But Mike Mitchell may have lost his starting job at strong safety when he injured his calf late in the preseason.

Coach Ron Rivera said Thomas will start on the left side on Sunday at Buffalo. He was non-committal on whether Mitchell or Quintin Mikell would start at safety.

Mikell played 75 percent of the snaps in Sunday's 12-7 loss to Seattle with Mitchell inactive.

"They're both going to play,'' Rivera said on Friday. "We've got to continue to evaluate it. Come Sunday we'll have a feeling for what direction we'll head and how we'll rotate those guys.''

As for Thomas, who gave up the deciding 43-yard fourth-quarter touchdown, he did enough other things well to remain the starter over Josh Norman.

"It was one play,'' Rivera said. "He could have helped himself out a little bit. We could have helped him out a little bit more, too, as well. It's one play. Hopefully, it doesn't become two.

"We have confidence in him. We're showing we have confidence in him. But at the same time we've got to also be smart about it, pay attention to what's happening. We have a couple of other young guys that could help us as well.''

Extra points:

O-line: Amini Silatolu, who missed the opener with a hamstring injury, will start at left guard. Chris Scott will start at right guard. Travelle Wharton and Jeff Byers will back them up.

"We can't expect Amini to come in and play 60 plays,'' Rivera said.

Chasing playing time: For all the talk about how valuable linebacker Chase Blackburn would be before the season, the nine-year veteran didn't play a defensive snap in the opener.

That should change against Buffalo, and not because the coaching staff is worried about wearing out starter Jon Beason, who missed most of last year with a knee injury.

“It wouldn’t be because [Beason] is struggling, because he’s got to work through it and we know that,” Rivera said. “It would be more so that Chase has got to start getting snaps. We’ve talked about that. He’s a veteran guy who understands the game and you don’t want him to ever get rusty.”

Blackburn signed with Carolina during the offseason after nine years with the New York Giants. He had a career-best 97 tackles and three sacks a year ago in 15 starts.

His only playing time against Seattle was on special teams. Starting linebackers Luke Kuechly and Thomas Davis played all 65 snaps. Beason played 30.

Beason snap count: Rivera said Beason looked good on Friday after getting Thursday off.

"I'll take that guy that played that first three quarters last week,'' Rivera said. "He's getting in football shape. Once that happens, I'm excited for him. There's going to be a point where we hope to get 50 out of him. Right now we'll take what we can get.''

Known inactives: Running back Kenjon Barner (foot) and cornerback James Dockery (thumb) will not play against Buffalo. But Rivera is optimistic Barner may be ready for the New York Giants next weekend.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The Carolina Panthers' secondary is picking up where it left off last season -- and that's not a good thing.

Carolina had the league's worst opponent-completion percentage last season at 66.8. One week into this season, after Seattle's Russell Wilson completed 25-of-33 attempts for a 75.8 success rate, the Panthers are ahead of only Chicago (78.8) and Oakland (78.3).

Buffalo Bills rookie quarterback EJ Manuel must be licking his chops in anticipation of Sunday's game visit from the Panthers.

And Manuel wasn't that bad in his debut against New England, going 18-for-27 for a 66.7 percentage.

The good news for Carolina after the 12-7 loss is that starting strong safety Mike Mitchell (calf) may be back this week. The Panthers also are considering using cornerback Josh Norman more -- perhaps over starting left corner Josh Thomas, who was burned for the 43-yard game-winning touchdown.

"We’ve just got to work on that on defense,'' cornerback Captain Munnerlyn said of reducing opposing quarterbacks' efficiency. "I think we only had one break-up in the back, and that’s not good being in the secondary.

"We’ve got to work on that, continue trying to get the ball out and make plays on the ball.”

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- As well as the Carolina Panthers played defensively in Sunday's 12-7 loss to the Seattle Seahawks, there were areas they must improve.

The most glaring? What defensive coordinator Sean McDermott calls the four-minute defense.

Carolina had Seattle pinned at the 3-yard line with 4:42 remaining. But on second-and-15 quarterback Russell Wilson was able to connect with running back Derrick Coleman on a short pass that turned into a 12-yard gain because linebacker Jon Beason missed a tackle.

On the next play, Seattle converted for a first down and the Seahawks were able to run out the clock.

The easy explanation for what happened is the Panthers were gassed, but that's just an excuse. Was Beason tired? Well, yes. It was his first full game after missing a year recovering from a knee injury. But again, he'll tell you tired is no excuse.

Were others tired? Yes. The four-man rotation at defensive end was reduced to three when Frank Alexander was ejected for taking a swing at a Seattle lineman after a big sack by safety Charles Godfrey. He'll be fined later in the week, and coach Ron Rivera already has given him an earful for hurting the team.

But again, those are excuses.

"It's unfortunate we played such a good game but we couldn't finish at the end,'' Beason said. "It's a tough pill to swallow.''

Carolina's secondary also gave up too many plays as quarterback Wilson passed for 320 yards, his first 300-yard game, including a game-winning 43-yard touchdown pass over cornerback Josh Thomas.

As well as Thomas played against the run, look for Carolina to use Josh Norman more this week against Buffalo.

But there were far more positives than negatives. The Panthers held running back Marshawn Lynch to 43 yards on 17 carries and the Seahawks had only 70 total rushing yards. They sacked the elusive Wilson two times and pressured him countless others without using a lot of exotic blitzes.

As fellow ESPN NFL Nation colleague Terry Blount said after watching the stout Seattle defense all preseason, "The Panthers' front seven is really good.''

How good?

"Probably as good as I've been around,'' said McDermott, who was involved with some pretty good defenses at Philadelphia. "They're not there yet, but probably as good as I've been around.

"Now that people have seen how good they can be, how disruptive they can be -- I'll give you another word for potential, because I don't like that word -- [but] they have a chance to be pretty darn good.''

But there is room for improvement.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- A examination of four hot issues from the Carolina Panthers' 12-7 loss to the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday at Bank of America Stadium:

As advertised: The defensive front seven might be better than advertised. It held running back Marshawn Lynch to 43 yards on 17 carries and the ground game to 70 yards. Rookie tackle Star Lotulelei showed star potential with four tackles and good inside pressure. The secondary remains a question as advertised. Cornerback Josh Thomas lost containment on consecutive deep passes, the second resulting in a game-winning 43-yard touchdown in the fourth quarter. Quarterback Russell Wilson completed a gaudy 75 percent of his passes for 320 yards -- his first 300-yard passing game -- for a rating of 115.7. Holding the Seahawks to 12 points was solid overall, but not enough to overcome a worse-than-advertised offense.

Deep trouble? Quarterback Cam Newton attempted only four passes beyond 10 yards, the second-lowest total of his career. He finished with a career-low 125 yards passing. Perhaps the play calling was conservative going against one of the best defenses in the NFL. Newton said the offense pretty much stuck to its game plan, but if this is the game plan of new offensive coordinator Mike Shula all season, the Panthers might be in deep trouble. They might be anyway with Steve Smith and the untouchables (only one player touched a pass outside of Smith) at wide receiver. Brandon LaFell, who was supposed to emerge as the second receiver, didn't catch a pass. He was targeted only once, and there was a hold on that play. Newton said Shula "did an unbelievable job calling plays," and the Panthers took what was given to them. He also said, "we have to be more aggressive and take the bull by its horns and go." The good news is they won't face many defenses as tough as Seattle's.

Close not good enough: There's no such thing as a moral victory because you played arguably the best team in the NFC to within five points. Not when your record was 1-7 in games decided by seven or fewer points a season ago and when your head coach is 2-13 in games decided by a touchdown or less. Losing close games breeds more close losses. If this trend isn't reversed, it leads to a coaching search.

Missed opportunities and silly mistakes: Marginal teams can't afford to miss opportunities or make silly mistakes. The Panthers, a marginal team, had both contribute to the loss. The most-glaring missed opportunity was DeAngelo Williams' fumble at the Seattle 8-yard line with the Panthers trailing 12-7 in the fourth quarter.

The silly mistakes? Backup defensive end Frank Alexander was disqualified for swinging at an offensive lineman after coach Ron Rivera warned his players the Seahawks get "chipper," his word for doing things to get you out of your game. Thomas had a punt go off his leg after Ted Ginn Jr. had called for a fair catch, which resulted in a turnover. Armond Smith was penalized twice -- yes twice -- for illegally going out of bounds and returning to the field on punt coverage. It all adds up to a loss if you're a marginal team.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Carolina Panthers' cornerback Josh Thomas lost coverage on consecutive deep passes in the fourth quarter of Sunday's 12-7 loss to the Seattle Seahawks.

He got lucky on the first as wide receiver Stephen Williams dropped Russell Wilson's throw near the goal line.

He wasn't so lucky on the second as Jermaine Kearse hauled in a 43-yard bomb that gave the Seahawks the lead and ultimately the win with 10:21 remaining.

Otherwise, the Carolina defense looked every bit as stout as the highly-touted Seattle defense. It shut down the running of Marshawn Lynch (43 yards on 17 carries) and kept constant pressure on Wilson, who escaped situations that quarterbacks of lesser athletic abilities wouldn't have.

But on the play to Kearse there was a breakdown. Thomas took a chance on making a big play and it turned into a big play for Seattle.

"He has to stay disciplined and on top of the ball,'' Carolina coach Ron Rivera of Thomas. "He is an aggressive football player. He is going to attack and try and put his hands on you and if he misses that is the unfortunate part about it.

"At that point, he has to be smart and has to make sure he can keep that guy in front of him.''

Thomas didn't. And a stellar defensive effort was lost in defeat.

The only other thing the unit could have done better was get Seattle off the field on the final drive. That didn't happen, either.

"We played great,'' said middle linebacker Luke Kuechly, who tied for the team lead in tackles with nine. "The whole deal right here is that we did a good job on defense in parts of the game and in order to be a solid playoff defense that's going to make a run, we've got to make a big play at the end of the game where we've got to get off the field on third down.''

First-round draft pick Star Lotulelei was a bright spot. He made four tackles, including one for a loss, and was a big part of making the Seattle running game ineffective. The secondary that was much-maligned last season and a question mark in the preseason played well, too, with the exception of the touchdown.

Even the player who caught the touchdown was impressed.

"Their defense was really stout,'' Kearse said. "So we just had to resort to the quick game, and continue to pound the ball. Eventually, we were going to break [one], and that's what happened at the end of the game.''

It's a Carolina defensive effort that, to a degree, will get overlooked because of the loss.