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Game Quotes: Panthers at Rams

HEAD COACH RON RIVERA

On getting the win no matter what it took: "This is a very tough team. We played a very physical team. You've got to give them credit. These guys played hard and it was about as physical of a game that I've been involved with. They played very tough up front. It was one of those games that the team that controlled the line of scrimmage was going to come out on top, and fortunately enough, for us, we were able to control it."

On his staff's use the defensive ends throughout the game: "That's what we've done for the most part. We do a ton of rotation. We liked what we did. We thought the guys up front gave us the perfect push and surge we needed. Again, give them credit, though because they drove down to score late in the game and were able to keep our pressure off of the quarterback at that point."

On if his game plan was to take away the running game and let Rams QB Case Keenum throw: "Most certainly. That's one of the things we wanted to do. We wanted to take away the running game. Todd Gurley is a tremendous football player, and we just didn't want to give him a chance to get started. They did some good things. Again, you've got to give them credit. They played hard. It was a very, very physical game today."

On the Rams defensive line's performance: "They're a physical bunch. They're explosive off the ball. They can get into the creases and they penetrate. If you're not opening creases immediately, they're going to make the ball bounce, which is what they were able to do and they forced us to try to bounce the ball outside. We did a couple of things later in the game, especially in the third quarter that opened some things up for Jonathan Stewart, but again they played very well up front."

On the impact of not having Ryan Kalil in the game: "I don't think it impacted us. I thought Gino Gradkowski did a good job. There were a couple of things that obviously Ryan would have handled a little bit better, but we had an opportunity, we did some good things, and they were good enough to give ourselves a chance to win."

On if he is in a position to turn this season around after this win: "Sure. Why not? We won today. We've got another game coming up. If we can win that, who knows what happens afterwards? Again, I feel pretty confident about who we are as a football team, but the truth of the matter is, we play them one at a time. We'll take them one at a time. Hopefully next week we'll get an opportunity and hopefully we can win the football game."

On the satisfaction of coming out on top in a physical game like this, after previously losing to Minnesota and Denver in similar games: "It is very satisfying, especially in a game like this, to come out on top. We played a couple of real physical games - Denver being one of them, Minnesota being the other - and to come out on top in a game like this is huge. It speaks very well to our ability to be a tough football team, a physical football team, and hopefully it will pay dividends as we move forward."

On whether or not Panthers QB Cam Newton was off even before the pressure started getting to him: "He missed a couple of throws, yes, and I think there were some opportunities. We dropped a couple, as well. They were able to stymie the running game, so that's a big part of it, too. It takes away the effectiveness of the play-action fake. It was a combination – he missed a couple throws, we dropped a couple, and you've got to give them credit because they did some good things."

On the officiating of Newton in the pocket: "I'm going to watch the tape. Again, as I go through the game, I'm trying to watch for what's happening. I'm for the most part satisfied. We'll see what it looks like on tape, but I thought the officiating did a good job."

On whether or not his secondary is better with James Bradberry in the game: "I think that the secondary is better just because they're coming together. They're maturing as a group, and I think that James is a big part of what we're trying to build as we go forward."

QB CAM NEWTON

On the physicality and toughness of the game: "Well, for us, the most important thing is to stop plays and get the football. That's what we did. We're not going to talk logistics or the stats or statistics – we just have to find ways. It's not pretty, and in most cases throughout the year, all games are not going to be pretty, but I am just happy and proud. Everybody just kept pushing through, and just did their job."

On if he feels that their season can still be turned around: "It's turned around before our eyes. We aren't going to think about what the final record can be. We're just trying to take it one game at a time."

On if someone describes the game as being an "ugly game": "I've never heard of a pretty loss."

On how not having Ryan Kalil impacted the running game: "You just have to find ways. They're very stingy up front, a very stout defense, and we knew that coming in. We can't put ourselves in third and long, we have to have more production on first and second down. That what we trust in our running game to do something, me included. We just have to go back and watch the film, and make the proper adjustments."

On only if there was anything that the defensive line did to get more sacks today: "It was a pretty good team. I don't think they get enough credit for how great those guys are. But still, when we face a good team like that, we have to be able to be more efficient on the offensive side of the football."

On if he felt like he received better treatment from the officials this week compared to last week: "I'm not worried about that. Just trying to find ways to win the football."

On the touchdown pass from TE Greg Olsen: "It was just Greg being very decisive in his route-running. When he got a head-start release, it was pretty much good riddance after that. They did a pretty much good job at trying to contain Greg all game, and we just have to make the defense ply. When guys are flying wide open, you have to make sure to hit the guys and keep the ball moving forward."

On how difficult the defensive front made it on his team in terms of running the ball and getting into a rhythm: "Well when you don't get the production in one game, it puts a strain on your offense as a whole, but we just have to move forward and find ways – if we face a team like this in the future, we have to have more answers."

On if today was more of a clean game than last week's game: "I'm just happy we won the football game."

On if he had more fun playing tonight: "It's always fun to win."             

LB LUKE KUECHLY

On how it feels to get another win: "You got to understand that you have to take it one week at a time. These two wins were good, but moving forward they don't mean anything. You got to come out each week with the mindset that you have to practice hard and give yourself a chance to win on Sunday."

On Thomas Davis' interception: "I was right there, and Thomas jumped up there and made a great play. I think he beat me this week, so he's going to give me some grief on that. He's got two interceptions already this year, so I've got some catching up to do."

On getting tough wins: "It's good for your team. You got to come out. There's always a different kind of game in every week. That's what makes the NFL great. Guys came out, played hard. I thought we played well in all three phases. It's a really good defense they have. Our guys on offense fought. Cam did a good job scoring when we needed to. Graham (Gano) hit a big field goal, and you got to win like that sometimes. Not every game is going to be a blowout, and it feels good for us to go out there and get a win like that."

On the defense to stopping the Rams offense: "Our guys up front have done an excellent job these last few weeks, and a lot of credit goes to those guys. A lot of the credit goes to the coaches for putting us in positions to be successful. Everybody tackles. I think James (Bradberry) had a really big tackle early on in the game and that's good for those guys to step up and make those tackles. I thought James and Daryl (Worley) played very well today, and it's fun to see those guys really growing."

On if this is a turning point for their season: "We've got quite a few games left. You got to understand that it's one game at a time. You can't look too far ahead because every team you play is a good team. We've got to focus in and understand that nothing is given; you've got to work towards everything."

On what the defense strives for every game: "We try to play as well as we can on defense and give our offense short fields, turnovers, and other possessions. We take a lot of pride on what we do on defense. Obviously, there are a lot of things we can tighten up and do better, but you know, we're getting there."  

TE GREG OLSEN

On the feeling of today's win: "Obviously, we're in a position right now where every win is pretty big for us. We put ourselves in a little bit of a hole and the only way to really get ourselves out is to just climb out one at a time. We come out here against a team that we knew was pretty dynamic on defense, to come away with a win was big for us."

On if he felt he needed a bounce-back game this week: "No. I don't get too wrapped up in stats and catches. Sometimes the games go particular ways that are out of your control. You just try to keep rolling and when the ball is thrown my way, catch it."

On Cam Newton's performance doing enough offensively today despite the sacks: "That was probably the story. That's probably the best way to put it –  we did enough. Obviously we've got to do a little bit better job of keeping him clean in the pocket, but that's probably the best front we'll play all year. So they're obviously a pretty unique challenge with what they can do up front and they had all their guys back off the bye healthy and we were prepared for a battle and that's what we got."

On the momentum of consecutive wins: "Obviously, we'll take a two-game win streak here, but we know three wins isn't going to do too much. So we've got a lot of football left here. We've got the back half of the season coming, so just got to keep chipping them one at a time."

LB THOMAS DAVIS

On the importance of shutting down the run game: "It's very important when you're playing any team to make them one-dimensional, trying to take away their running game. When you do that, it allows the D-linemen to get after the quarterback. Our D-line the last two weeks have been phenomenal. They've done a really great job. I think that works hand-in-hand with the guys in the secondary. Connecting the receivers and giving them time to get there. Like I've talked about all season long, when we do that, it's tough to beat this football team."

On if they can still save their season after winning consecutive games: "We definitely feel like, as a football team, we still control our own destiny. You know, it's a really good feeling. You don't want to be at the mercy of anyone else. As long as we continue to string wins together and come away with the victory, that's all that matters. At the end of the day, we still control what happens to this football team."

On if the team is starting to see momentum build: "We're just taking this thing one week at a time. We can't get caught up and worried about momentum and worrying about streaks moving forward. We just got to take it one week at a time. It's the mindset, and we aren't going to let anyone get caught up looking ahead. It's all about playing in this game and that's the focus right now."

On the interception and what he saw: "I saw something that our coaches showed us all week long. You drop back, you get setup, and you get your eyes back to the quarterback and he threw it in my direction. In my eyes, I'm like 'hey, come down with this football by any means necessary.'"

On winning a road game this far from home: "It definitely feels better when you win the football game traveling this far, but at the end of the day, we focused in, we locked in as a football team, and we knew that it was a tough task. We knew what we had to do and we came here and got it done."

WR KELVIN BENJAMIN

On the Rams defense: "Yeah, I mean they're flying all over the field. They disguise very well. You know, like I said, we just got out and execute and catch, throw and catch."  

On the good feeling of the first road win and then consecutive victories: "I mean definitely, definitely. That's what we really try to focus on. After the bye week, we kind of wanted to start the whole season over, so we're 2-0 right now. And that's how we want to finish out the second half of the season."

View game action photos from Carolina's 13-10 win over Los Angeles.

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