Ron Rivera rips Panthers offense after practice session filled with mistakes

From drops to dumb penalties, the Panthers offense had a day to forget Thursday

Ron Rivera was less than pleased with his offense after Thursday's joint practice with the Tennessee Titans. That lackluster performance included drops by multiple players, rusty performance from Cam Newton and at least one dumb penalty.

After practice, Rivera wasn't using absences on the field as an excuse. 

"Yesterday there were some really good things and today there were some things that were terrible," Rivera told the team's official website. "We can't have that. If we expect to win football games, we can't do the things that we did today."

The Panthers, of course, went 6-10 last season with a slew of injuries, just a year removed from a Super Bowl appearance. So they know plenty about playing shorthanded.

Newton was involved in the practice, but not heavily as he recovers from a shoulder injury. Ryan Kalil, Greg Olsen and Jonathan Stewart also missed the practice.

Rivera, however, was more concerned about the players on hand.

"Those are guys that you count on to come out on the football field and help create that cohesiveness," Rivera said about the aforementioned veterans. "Not having them out on the football field is huge. ... The guys that dropped the balls were guys that had opportunities. They were good balls that got dropped. When the ball hits you in the hand, you've got to catch it. If the guy's in front of you, you've got to block him. You know? Those are things that we didn't do well today, and because of it, we didn't look very good."

The Panthers' offensive line in particular is in precarious spot. Matt Kalil, Ryan's brother, struggled in Minnesota before heading to the Panthers to take over at left tackle, and Trai Turner is on a contract season. Michael Oher released after his failed physical at the end of July. If the offensive line can't come together and create cohesion, the offense will need to rely on Newton. If Newton isn't 100 percent, it could be another long season for Carolina.

Rivera's concerns are warranted. The Panthers are undeniably talented, but if players keep on missing opportunities, there may be shuffles in store throughout the preseason.