Kelvin Benjamin Q&A


On if the team is still feeling the same comfort level at practice that they showed after quarterback Derek Anderson entered the game:"Oh yeah, definitely, definitely. We all know D.A. can play in this league. He showed that the first game my rookie year. We did real good, and he came back and played (the Bucs) again that year too and beat them again. We've just got to keep our intensity going and keep our practice level up."

On if he's talked to quarterback Cam Newton since Sunday: "No, I've only seen him once, but no, I haven't really talked to him. Like I said, we can't really focus on that. We've got a game coming up and we've got to focus on that."

On how he views Monday's game with a 1-3 record: "I think it'll be a good game. It's a Monday night game, so we know the emotions are going to be running high. We've got to go out there and just play Panther football and get back on track. We really need a win to boost the confidence of the team, so we need to go out there and get it done."

On what he remembers of his emotions from his first Monday Night Football game during his rookie season:"I probably over-hyped, but it's Monday Night Football. You know the whole world is sitting down to watch that game. You've got to stay focused and just go out and do your job."

On his chemistry with Anderson compared to Newton: "I think it's pretty much just the same. The quarterback, they throw the throw and you catch. It's pretty much just the same. D.A.'s going to get it out quicker than Cam, and we're going to have to be fast on our routes. That's what we've got to do. We've got to run our routes and be to the spot where D.A.'s going to throw it to."

On if confidence is an issue in the Panthers' locker room:"Not at all, but when you're losing your head starts sagging and you start getting down on yourself. I just think it'll be a really good team win."

On why he thinks Carolina is 1-3:"It's football season. You always expect the best, but you've got to prepare for the worst. We're at our worst right now, and I think we have to find our identity and who we are as a team. I think that's what we've been looking for."

On if he's surprised that the Panthers are struggling with so many veterans on the team: "We have a lot of vets, but we also lost a lot of vets. Jerricho (Cotchery). (Roman) Harper. (Charles) Tillman. We lost a lot of people, so there's a lot of people plugging into spots where it's their job to get comfortable. We've got a lot of young people playing. We've just got to find our identity."

On how to prepare for Tampa Bay's defensive line:"I think if we get a fast tempo going, we have some of the best receivers in the game, and hopefully we get the running game going and continue moving down the field on them."

View photos from the Panthers' week of practice leading up to their game against Tampa Bay.

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