CHARLOTTE — From outside the locker room, it's possible to imagine frustration bubbling up between Carolina's offense and defense.
But inside it, the leaders across the defense say that isn't the case.
Several veterans said they didn't put the blame on the other side of the ball, after a 1-3 start to the season, that has seen the offense struggle to piece together productive drives, leaving the defense on the field for long stretches.
"That's the last thing we want to do," linebacker Frankie Luvu said when asked about a potential division. "We're all in this together. We win together; we lose together."
Issues with time of possession have popped up throughout the season, but that gap was the most evident it has been this season in Sunday's 26-16 loss to the Arizona Cardinals.
The Cardinals held the ball for 38:35 compared to Carolina's 21:25. The Panthers saw similar problems pop up in Week 1 against the Browns, when they were on offense for 21:34, just nine more seconds than in Week 4.
Most stark was the discrepancy in second-half possession when Arizona had a 21:39 to 8:21 edge over Carolina. The Cardinals outscored the Panthers 23-6 in the second half after going into halftime down 10-3.
The Panthers' lone touchdown in the first half was off a Luvu interception returned for a 33-yard touchdown, as he continued to play the best football of his career. Luvu was Carolina's leading tackler against the Cardinals, combining for career-high 11 total stops, adding a tackle for loss and a pass deflection.
"I thought our defense was kind of fighting and hanging in there, keeping it a close game and just kind of waiting for the offense," head coach Matt Rhule said. "In the end, I think the time of possession in the second half was brutal against our defense. The defense has to get off the field, don't get me wrong, but they just needed some spells."
Cornerback Donte Jackson said he wasn't frustrated by the gap in time of possession. Instead, he challenged the defense to play all four quarters, regardless of how long they were on the field.
"My job is to come here on Sundays, play cornerback, and play defense," Jackson said. "Regardless of how many snaps, regardless of whatever. I can't complain about being on the field playing corner for however many plays when that's my job.
"I literally showed up to the stadium to do that. We can't make it about anything else but us just getting better on defense and doing what we've got to do."
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Defensive end Brian Burns, who came down with the Panthers' only sack of Arizona quarterback Kyler Murray, echoed that sentiment.
"It's just hard to stop somebody for so long, but that's our goal," Burns said. "We have to finish strong, no matter how fast we start early. That was our goal, going into the fourth, to get a fourth-quarter shutout, and we didn't get it."
Burns' assessment of the Panthers' fourth-quarter struggles is a valid one. The Panthers allowed Arizona 16 of its 26 points in the fourth quarter and allowed New Orleans all 14 of its points in the fourth last week.
Derrick Brown had a similar message.
"If they score more points than us, we didn't do a good enough job," Brown said. "That's how every single man in that room looks at it. That's just our mindset about it. We don't think we played well, and we lost. (We) gave up points in the fourth quarter. So that's on us."
But the reality is Carolina's offense hasn't exactly helped its defense out, especially in the last 15 minutes.
The Panthers' offense set up two consecutive short touchdown drives for Arizona in the fourth after Baker Mayfield threw an interception, then turned the ball over on downs on consecutive series. Arizona's average drive started at the Carolina 28-yard line in the fourth quarter.
When asked about how to keep the locker room from splintering between the offense and defense, Rhule expressed little concern.
"I don't ever worry about that," Rhule said. "We have elite men and leaders in that room on defense – when you have Shaq (Thompson), Frankie, Donte, Brian, and those guys.
"At the end of the day, defensively, I know they expect to pitch a shutout in the fourth quarter. Even if the ball's on the 4, to hold them to a field goal. I'm sure they're disappointed, but they're leaders, and they're men that believe in what we're doing."
And those leaders on the defense would agree.
"It's Week 4, so if you're hanging your head, you're down and out this early, you don't stand a chance in December or January," Jackson said. "That's all. We've just got to keep working, keep coming to work, ready to play, ready to get better. … I know the guys on this team, know the guys in this building. That's all we're going to do. That's the message."
View best in-game photos from Carolina's game against Arizona.

Arizona Cardinals wide receiver Marquise Brown is tackled by Carolina Panthers linebacker Frankie Luvu during the first half of an NFL football game on Sunday, Oct. 2, 2022, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Rusty Jones)

S - 42 - Sam Franklin
P - 10 - Johnny Hekker

S - 27 - Marquis Blair
TE - 84 - Stephen Sullivan

CB - 26 - Donte Jackson
DE - 53 - Brian Burns

CB - 8 - Jaycee Horn

LB - 49 - Frankie Luvu
LB - 7 - Shaq Thompson

T - 72 - Taylor Moton
T - 75 - Cameron Irving

T - 75 - Cameron Irving
LB - 57 - Damien Wilson
DE - 98 - Marquis Hayens
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QB - 6 - Baker Mayfield

CB - 26 - Donte Jackson

TE - 80 - Ian Thomas

Carolina Panthers tight end Ian Thomas is tackled by Arizona Cardinals linebacker Isaiah Simmons during the first half of an NFL football game on Sunday, Oct. 2, 2022, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Rusty Jones)

Arizona Cardinals linebacker Tanner Vallejo forces a fumble by Carolina Panthers wide receiver Shi Smith during the first half of an NFL football game on Sunday, Oct. 2, 2022, in Charlotte, N.C. The Panthers recovered. (AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman)

Carolina Panthers wide receiver Shi Smith runs against the Arizona Cardinals during the first half of an NFL football game on Sunday, Oct. 2, 2022, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman)

Carolina Panthers quarterback Baker Mayfield passes against the Arizona Cardinals during the first half of an NFL football game on Sunday, Oct. 2, 2022, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman)

Carolina Panthers quarterback Baker Mayfield passes over Arizona Cardinals linebacker Devon Kennard during the first half of an NFL football game on Sunday, Oct. 2, 2022, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Rusty Jones)

Carolina Panthers offensive tackle Ikem Ekwonu plays against the Arizona Cardinals during the first half of an NFL football game on Sunday, Oct. 2, 2022, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Rusty Jones)

Carolina Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey is tackled by Arizona Cardinals linebacker Devon Kennard during the first half of an NFL football game on Sunday, Oct. 2, 2022, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Rusty Jones)

Carolina Panthers running back Christian McCaffrey runs against the Arizona Cardinals during the first half of an NFL football game on Sunday, Oct. 2, 2022, in Charlotte, N.C. (AP Photo/Rusty Jones)
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
LB - 49 - Frankie Luvu
CB - 26 - Donte Jackson
LB - 7 - Shaq Thompson
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
QB - 6 - Baker Mayfield
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
CB - 8 - Jaycee Horn
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
LB - 55 - Cory Littleton
S - 25 - Xavier Woods

S - 25 - Xavier Woods

DE - 53 - Brian Burns
CB - 24 - C.J. Henderson

S - 25 - Xavier Woods
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
DE - 97 - Yetur Gross-Matos
DE - 98 - Marquis Haynes

LB - 49 - Frankie Luvu
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
DE - 53 - Brian Burns
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
DT - 99 - Matt Ioannidis


S - 25 - Xavier Woods

DT - 78 - Marquan McCall
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
LB - 49 - Frankie Luvu
DT - 99 - Matt Ioannidis


CB - 8 - Jaycee Horn

LB - 49 - Frankie Luvu

QB - 6 - Baker Mayfield
RB - 22 - Christian McCaffrey

S - 42 - Sam Franklin Jr.
LB - 55 - Cory Littleton
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
DT - 99 - Matt Ioannidis

CB - 24 - C.J. Henderson

LB - 7 - Shaq Thompson
DE - 53 - Brian Burns

K - 4 - Eddy Pineiro
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
LB - 49 - Frankie Luvu

WR - 2 - D.J. Moore

LB - 49 - Frankie Luvu
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WR - 15 - Laviska Shenault Jr.
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
WR - 15 - Laviska Shenault Jr.

WR - 15 - Laviska Shenault Jr.

QB - 6 - Baker Mayfield
RB - 22 - Christian McCaffrey

WR - 2 - D.J. Moore

S - 21 - Jeremy Chinn
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
LB - 55 - Cory Littleton

WR - 15 - Laviska Shenault Jr.

RB - 22 - Christian McCaffrey

CB - 8 - Jaycee Horn
CB - 24 - C.J. Henderson


QB - 6 - Baker Mayfield

DE - 53 - Brian Burns

CB - 24 - C.J. Henderson
S - 25 - Xavier Woods

CB - 26 - Donte Jackson

LB - 7 - Shaq Thompson

DB - 38 - Myles Hartsfield

LB - 49 - Frankie Luvu
DE - 53 - Brian Burns


DE - 53 - Brian Burns

P - 10 - Johnny Hekker
S - 42 - Sam Franklin
TE - 82 - Tommy Tremble

S - 42 - Sam Franklin
TE - 80 - Ian Thomas

S - 42 - Sam Franklin
P - 10 - Johnny Hekker

WR - 3 - Robbie Anderson


LB - 55 - Cory Littleton

LS - 44 - J.J. Jansen
TE - 45 - Giovanni Ricci

DE - 53 - Brian Burns

LB - 49 - Frankie Luvu
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
RB - 30 - Chuba Hubbard

DE - 53 - Brian Burns

RB - 30 - Chuba Hubbard