Panthers' Donte Jackson criticizes play calling in first game without Ron Rivera as head coach

Jackson was not happy with the defensive play calling in the first game post-Rivera

The Carolina Panthers are trying to move on after the firing of longtime head coach Ron Rivera with multiple games to play in the season. Cornerback Donte Jackson isn't ready to move on from his former coach just yet. After a 40-20 loss to the Atlanta Falcons, Jackson criticized the play-calling of Panthers interim head coach Perry Fewell, who has taken over the defensive play-calling duties after Rivera's ouster. The Panthers defense has been poor in 2019, but Carolina gave up 40 points for the first time this year.

That didn't sit well with Jackson, who gave up two touchdown passes which he was the primary defender on both plays. 

"First of all, it was two bad calls. Two horrible calls," Jackson said after the game, via Scott Fowler of the Charlotte Observer. "Two calls that we didn't call in those situations all week at practice." 

This was the first game Fewell was at the helm after Carolina fired Rivera earlier in the week. Rivera had a 76-63-1 in nine seasons with the Panthers, winning three NFC South titles and winning the 2015 NFC Championship. More importantly, he had plenty of respect from his players -- including Jackson. 

The first play Jackson criticized was a 15-yard touchdown pass from Falcons quarterback Matt Ryan to wide receiver Calvin Ridley in the second quarter. Ridley was wide open on the play after Jackson left to cover tight end Austin Hooper over the middle. The second play when Ryan found Olamide Zaccheaus for a 93-yard touchdown in the third quarter, which was the first catch of Zaccheaus's career. 

Jackson failed to tackle Zaccheaus as he went all the way to the end zone to give the Falcons a commanding three-score lead. Carolina's chances of winning were doomed after that touchdown. 

"Backed up, [third-and-8], called an 'Engage 8' blitz, we sent everybody," Jackson said. "To leave the corners out there on an island by (themselves) ... Zero coverage. No help. Backed up. With a quarterback like that? I don't care if you're Champ Bailey or any of those cornerbacks on the [NFL] 100 list, that is a play that's hard to make for any guy. Especially with a quarterback like Matt Ryan."

Jackson did acknowledge his failure to make the tackle, but the bigger concern remains with the Panthers -- does this team respect Fewell as a head coach or are they upset with the front office/ownership for the firing of Rivera? There's flames that need to be put out in Carolina, starting with Jackson's comments.