Beason says blame him for Panthers' 0-2 start

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Carolina Panthers Pro Bowl linebacker Jon Beason is upset.

He has a hard time believing that Carolina is 0-2, and he's ready to blame somebody: Himself.

Beason told me Tuesday in an exclusive interview that he played a "horrible" game against Atlanta on Sunday and that he and the Panthers defense are doing some personal "soul-searching" to figure out what they must do better at Dallas on Monday night.

Always a stand-up guy, Beason said fans must stop blaming Jake Delhomme or Julius Peppers for Carolina's first two defeats.

"You can make this your headline," Beason told me. "With Pep, it's just because he's Pep. People are like, 'OK, we're 0-2. Who we are going to point the finger at?' Last week, Jake played bad. This week he was a lot better - good enough to win. So, who are we going to point the finger at? Pep.

"You tell 'em if they want to point the finger at somebody, they can point the finger at me. You tell 'em I said I am not playing as good as I should be and I need to get better."

Beason further said of his own performance: "I haven't played well. I haven't played comfortable. I haven't played free yet. I'm out there, I'm doing my thing, but I need to step up and really be that dominant force that I know that I am."

Beason spoke with me at a quiet table in a ballroom at The Westin Charlotte. This was about 45 minutes after he had entertained a crowd of several hundred folks at the Charlotte Touchdown Club.

Only 24, Beason is a natural at both speaking and at leading football teams. That's why he's the youngest Panthers team captain.

But he has not looked like himself the past two games . And he knows that must change.

Beason is the heart of the defense. He has played only two full seasons for Carolina, yet ranks both No. 1 and No. 2 in the Panthers' record book for most tackles in a season.

Beason said he is also well aware that only three NFL teams have started the season 0-3 and gone on to make the playoffs since 1990.

"So it's desperation time," he said.

The linebacker hasn't been terrible. He has 18 tackles, second on the team to Thomas Davis. He had an interception against Philadelphia.

But Beason admits to still thinking too much in new defensive coordinator Ron Meeks' system, saying he does not feel "fluent" in it.

Beason said that even in mid-play right now he will sometimes catch himself thinking about what he's supposed to do next rather than instinctively just doing it.

"I'm used to playing the way I played it the last two years," Beason said. "It's second nature."

Meeks' system-which Beason and other Panthers defenders agree is a simplified version of what Mike Trgovac ran-still doesn't feel like second nature to him.

"Lots of times last year with (Trgovac), I'd know what he was thinking before he called it," said Beason, who was quick to add "I love Meeks."

Another problem: Beason and all inside linebackers need their defensive tackles to keep offensive linemen off of them. "For me, as a (middle) linebacker, you're only as good as your two interior guys," Beason said.

Beason would never say this, but I will: his two interior guys have struggled to even be average.

Without Maake Kemoeatu clogging up the middle on run plays, Beason has found himself trying to fight off one blocker after another and still tackle somebody.

Also, Beason was hurt for much of the preseason. A sprained left knee Aug. 22 against Miami kept him out for the last two preseason games.

I thought it would at least keep Beason out for the opener, too, but instead he played. He has now taken the brace off his left knee, which he said "is huge mentally for me."

As Beason kept criticizing his own play, I wondered: is he simply trying to take the heat off other players because of Carolina's bad start?

No, he said.

"Even if I had played the same but we were 2-0, I'd be saying the same thing," Beason said.

"I've got to be the orchestrator of the defense. Fluent. Fundamentally sound. So I'm doing some soul-searching."

As for the Panthers, he said: "We're still a good team. We've dealt with a lot so far. We're still there. We're still getting better. The stage is set.

"What better game-against the Cowboys, new stadium, Monday night game, for the world to see-to silence all the critics? Go out and-not just play well-but beat the Dallas Cowboys."

That sounded almost like a guarantee. I asked Beason if it was.

"It'd be great for you," Beason laughed. "Foxy (coach John Fox) wouldn't like it very much."

So Beason wouldn't guarantee a win against Dallas on Monday night. But he did say this: "I'll be better. That's my guarantee."


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(sacbee.com)