Beason's 2 game-changing INTs lead defense

A difficult week ended in a gratifying manner Sunday for Carolina Panthers middle linebacker Jon Beason.
Beason intercepted two Josh Freeman passes and had six tackles, helping the Panthers beat the Tampa Bay Buccaneers 16-6 at Bank of America Stadium.

The interceptions - Beason's fourth and fifth of the season - were pivotal. Both came with the Bucs deep in Panthers territory and with Carolina hanging onto a precarious lead.

"When it's your turn, you have to make a play," Beason told reporters after the game. "I had the opportunity and I came up big."

Beason's tough week began when he was arrested last Monday for assaulting a man at a local strip club in November. Later in the week, the man named Beason in a civil suit.

"At the end of the day the truth will come to light," said Beason, who is scheduled to appear in court Jan. 11. "It's unfortunate that some stuff gets out before it's investigated or reported. But that's part of it. You come out and do your job and you move forward."

Beason led a Panthers defense Sunday that, while allowing 469 yards, intercepted Freeman five times (second most in franchise history) and didn't allow a touchdown. Most impressive defensively for the Panthers were the four trips the Bucs took into the red zone (inside the 20), which resulted in just one field goal for Tampa Bay. The other three yielded a missed field goal by Connor Barth and one of Beason's interceptions and another by strong safety Chris Harris.

Beason's second interception, while not in the red zone, might as well have been, since it came on a play from the 20. The strong-armed Freeman, looking for Antonio Bryant, fired a pass down the middle. Beason snatched it at the 3.

"I talked to (Beason) about it after the game," said Freeman. "Right when I popped up to let it go to Bryant, (Beason) just saw it and got his hands on it. It was a remarkable catch for how hard I threw that."

Harris, free safety Charles Godfrey and cornerback Chris Gamble also had interceptions. It was Gamble's third in three games and Godfrey's first since returning from an ankle injury that kept him out of four games.

"This is what happens when you're disciplined," said Godfrey, sporting a split lip from when his helmet jammed into it after he made a tackle. "Then they make mistakes and we capitalize."

Godfrey also saved a certain touchdown in the first half when he slapped the ball from Bucs tight end Kellen Winslow's hands in the end zone.

"He's kind of a choppy guy," Godfrey said. "We had talked a little before the play. I was running with him, I saw his eyes get big and I knocked it out."

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(charlotteobserver.com)