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| Panthers coach Ron Rivera shared his players’ exasperation after Carolina wasted a 19-7 fourth-quarter lead against the Bears. (US Presswire) |
Carolina Panthers WR Steve Smith has had about enough of his team finding new and creative ways to lose games.
They did it again Sunday in a 23-22 loss to the Chicago Bears at Soldier Field after dominating for almost three-and-a-half quarters. It left the Panthers 1-10 under coach Ron Rivera in games decided by six points or less.
"It's not heartbreaking," Smith said. "Tiresome, monotonous, a few guys in here are perturbed. But we're beyond heartbreak. We're just getting upset."
The Panthers led 19-7 midway through the fourth quarter, and a shanked punt led to a Bears TD on a Jay Cutler-to-Kellen Davis pass. On the next play from scrimmage, Smith fell down and Tim Jennings picked off a Cam Newton pass and returned it 25 yards for a go-ahead score.
Smith wasn't too impressed with Jennings even though he leads the NFL in INTs with six and had two Sunday.
"I've been kicking his ass every time I come up here and today was no different," Smith said.
The Bears matched Jennings on Smith instead of putting 6-foot-2 Charles Tillman on him as they did Monday against Detroit's Calvin Johnson because both are shorter players, coach Lovie Smith said. Smith may have had the edge with seven catches for 118 yards, including a 47-yarder that led to a field goal. But Jennings got the biggest play. The INT loomed big after the Bears got a game-winning Robbie Gould 41-yard field goal.
"It's getting old," Steve Smith said. "There is a tradition growing here, and I'm not sure which way this tradition is going."
The Panthers fired GM Marty Hurney this week, causing speculation that Rivera could be next.
After the game, Rivera was as exasperated as Smith.
"I am running out of ways to describe this," he said. "It was disappointing, obviously. Our guys played well enough to give themselves a chance to win. Who would have thought Steve Smith would slip?
"You have a great situation and set of circumstances and that happens -- and it's tough, it really is."
If Rivera could be blamed for anything, it was deciding not to kick or punt to Devin Hester. It seemed to work until P Brad Nortman shanked a 6-yard punt into the wind out of bounds to set up the Bears' second TD.
"We mishit it and unfortunately, it went out of bounds," Rivera said. "But that is on me. That was by design. And that's what we were going to do. Like I said, we weren't going to let (Hester) beat us."
Afterward, Rivera said he told his team all they can do is continue to keep playing hard. The message connected with DT Sione Fua.
"I don't think anybody's trying to quit," he said. "Obviously, we're mad, frustrated. No one likes to lose. We put too much work in.
"We've just got to keep going. We'll stay together."
