Published: Monday, Oct. 26, 2009 / Updated: Monday, Oct. 26, 2009 08:37 AM

Defense not happy despite solid performance

CHARLOTTE -- It's hard to blame the Carolina Panthers' defense for Sunday's 20-9 loss to Buffalo, but that offered little consolation to a side which has actually played well in recent weeks.

The Panthers gave up a season-low 167 yards to the Bills — the third straight week Carolina has allowed fewer than 250 — but were still steaming over plays that got away from them.

Both of the Bills' touchdown drives came after Jake Delhomme interceptions, leaving Buffalo with 7 and 27 yards to go.

“Our job is to defend,” safety Chris Harris said. “If we hold them to three, then I can live with that. I can't live with the seven. If they get a short field, then so be it. We still have to play defense and hold them to three points instead of seven. A couple of times, they got seven instead of three.

“This one hurts. It's a tough pill for me to swallow. If you look at the numbers and not look at the score, you say that we probably blew them out. But, numbers don't win games, points do. It's one of those weeks.”

Over the last three weeks, the Panthers' defense has allowed five touchdowns. Only the 59-yard drive to open the game in Tampa Bay last week was longer than Sunday's 27-yard scoring march.

“I don't know if frustrated is the word, but I'll go out on a limb and say no,” linebacker Jon Beason said when asked to put the loss into context. “It's really not something I look at as a bad thing (the short fields to defend). That's part of playing defense. You go out and you stop people. Whether it's the 6-yard line or the 20-yard line, you just stop them. That's it.

“We're doing a very good job collectively of not doing our job. That's just the bottom line. Look at defense, offense, special teams. We're all just taking turns.”

UNHAPPY BIRTHDAY — Normally reliable kicker John Kasay missed a pair of field goals in the first half, wide right from 43 yards and wide left from 39 to end the half.

Kasay, who will turn 40 on Tuesday, took full responsibility for the misses, a rare off-day for one of the league's most reliable kickers. Including a blocked 52-yard attempt into a gale last week in Tampa Bay, Kasay has missed three straight field goal attempts. It's his longest such streak since 2005, when he missed four during a three-game span in October.

“That was unheard of,” Beason said. “When it happened, I was like, ‘Wow.' Everyone is entitled. I made some mistakes today, too. He's usually a guy who is perfect.”

Kasay said he felt a sense of guilt for Delhomme, who was wondering about his own status after the game.

“I put Jake in a bad spot today,” Kasay said. “I put a lot of pressure on him. I put a lot of pressure on the offense and the defense. That's my fault, so I guess I would say to him ‘I'm sorry.' I'm real sorry that I did that to him. He didn't deserve it, and that's not fair.”

Panthers coach John Fox said Kasay's misses were part of the reason he went for a fourth-and-1 in easy field goal range, since it was toward the same end zone of Kasay's previous misses.

“It could have had a bit to do with it,” Fox said. “It was the same direction. At the end of the day, it was a decision that I made, and it was the wrong one.”

EMOTIONAL LOSS — Panthers wide receiver Steve Smith wept at the podium Sunday night, not because of the game, but because of the loss of a man he referred to as a “father figure.”

Former Santa Monica College coach Robert Taylor died Thursday after a bout with cancer. Taylor coached Smith, Chad Ochocinco and Isaac Bruce, among others, at SMC.

“Me personally, I had a rough week,” Smith said. “Thursday, I lost a father figure in my life. I wanted to win really bad this week. I lost a great man in my life; it was really hard for me. I think the rest of the year is going to be really difficult.

“He was really influential to me, he was a father figure to me and I say that with no disrespect to my father, he is here tonight. He was a guy who put a lot of quality love into this game.”

EXTRA POINTS — A familiar face was in the middle of the failed fourth-and-1 attempt by running back Jonathan Stewart. Former Panthers linebacker Chris Draft stuffed the play for Buffalo.

“A lot of experience on the field,” Bills coach Dick Jauron said when asked what Draft brought to his team. “He understands the game. A calmness out there, and leadership.” ...

The Panthers were without a pair of starters, as linebacker Thomas Davis and fullback Brad Hoover were on the pregame inactive list.

Davis missed two practices with a hamstring strain, while Hoover took Wednesday off with a sore back but worked Thursday and Friday. Landon Johnson started for Davis and played a solid game, while rookie Tony Fiammetta replaced Hoover.

Also inactive for the Panthers were running back Tyrell Sutton, offensive linemen Garry Williams and Duke Robinson, defensive tackle Nick Hayden, safety Keith Lewis and third quarterback A.J. Feeley.