CHARLOTTE, N.C. _ Now that was more like the defense the Carolina Panthers are accustomed to.
A week after the Atlanta Falcons ran over and passed through this Panthers defense with ease, it was clear from the start of Sunday's 31-21 victory over against the Cincinnati Bengals that that same cavalier attitude wouldn't be tolerated. And boy, was that defense the exact opposite of cavalier.
Rookie cornerback Donte Jackson had two interceptions, the first coming in the first half when defensive end Wes Horton hit Bengals QB Andy Dalton as he threw. Jackson then bullied the ball away from receiver John Ross, giving Carolina's offense a prime opportunity to retaliate _ which it promptly did, courtesy of a beautifully designed CJ Anderson touchdown catch.
Then in the third quarter, Dalton's pass at the line of scrimmage got tipped high into the air, giving a handful of Panthers defenders time to get under it. Ultimately Efe Obada _ playing in his first career NFL game _ got under it and recorded the defense's second takeaway of the day, which flipped possession back to Newton and the offense again. That drive, Newton ran the ball in himself to extend Carolina's lead.
With less than five minutes to play, Dalton threw another pass way deep, which Jackson ran back for and also intercepted. And while that third turnover didn't lead to a third touchdown drive on offense, the Panthers still notched a field goal and pushed their lead to two scores with less than two minutes to play.
And then, with the game essentially over, Luke Kuechly sealed the victory defensively on the last play in the only appropriate fashion: a fourth interception.
