CHARLOTTE — The ball flew towards Demani Richardson like a candy-coated raindrop, zipping across the middle of the field and into the greedy arms of the rookie safety who had already become a magnet for the ball during the week. As the Adrian Martinez pass came his way, Richardson had one thought.

"Go get it," Richardson smiled, following the preseason game.

Richardson nabbed the only turnover of the game in the Panthers 15-12 loss to the Jets in the second week of preseason, setting the Panthers up for a field goal to make it a three-point game at the time. It was his third of the week, following two in practice on Sunday.

"Every day is new lessons, learning different coverages, leverage and all that. And the cool part about Demani is, he had an opportunity tonight. He took advantage of it. Sometimes we get those ops and the guy either can or can't come up with the ball," Canales said of his rookie safety.

"And so, he did a fantastic job of finishing that play, putting us in a good situation, getting us back on the board and really making it a three-point game at that point. So, that was awesome."

Given Richardson's propensity for being around the ball this past week, especially Saturday night, one has to wonder, is he lucky, in the right place at the right time or putting himself in the right place at the right time? Maybe a little of neither, maybe a little of both.

"Just doing what I'm coached," he explained. "We got good coaches and I'm in the right spot. Quarterbacks…they're not making the right read and I'm just capitalizing on what I'm coached to do.

"Our coaches teach us just to lean to the receiver side or the bad matchup. So, I leaned to the side and the quarterback overthrew the ball."

Added Jaycee Horn of Richardson's play, "Some DBs, you just see that they got a tendency of getting to the ball. Some guys is always around the ball."

Being a ball hawk has become such a part of Richardson's reputation in camp though, and these past few days, that as the ball sailed over mid-field Saturday night, Horn immediately started looking for Richardson.

"As soon as it went across the middle, he was the first person I thought about, 'where Demani' and he picked it off. It was definitely the most exciting moment of the game for sure.

"I seen the quarterback throw it to the middle because I think we had a linebacker match up on the receiver. So, I kind of like seen that match up pre-snap. So, I was watching them during the play and the receiver kind of got open. So, I seen the quarterback throw it in the middle and it was overthrow. So, I'm like, oh, who is back there at safety? Demani was the first person I thought about and obviously it was him going the other way with the football."

After an offseason in which coaches and the defense have preached turnovers, Richardson's nabs have become a totem to which to point. And his turnovers on Sunday kicked off what Horn called "definitely the best week we had in camp as far as turning the ball over."

"We had, I think five of them during joint practice," Horn said. "We just went on a roll. I can't even think of how many because they've been coming. They come in bunches and that's been happening."

And Richardson's on Saturday night was the exclamation point on the week that best exemplified how a turnover can chance a game and momentum. There is one part of the play though Richardson readily admits he has to work on moving forward. Despite a 29-yard return, which set the Panthers offense up on the 28-yard line, the rookie knows he should've made it all the way.

"I feel like I could have," he started, before correcting, "I should have scored, but I let a lineman tackle me, so I feel like that's a bad return.

"I can't, I can't let a lineman tackle me."