Ian Thomas tells Panthers insider what happened on Andy Dalton interception that was intended for him

Carolina tight end Ian Thomas returned to the lineup for the first time this season against Atlanta.

Tight end Ian Thomas (80) of the Carolina Panthers walks on the field prior to an NFL football game between the Detroit Lions and the Carolina Panthers in Detroit, Michigan USA, on Sunday, October 8, 2023. / (Photo by Amy Lemus/NurPhoto via Getty Images)

If the Carolina Panthers are the worst team in the NFL at one position it's probably quarterback. If there's room for two, tight end fits the description, as well. Coming into this season ESPN ranked Carolina's tight end room 32nd in the league, and so far that's been proven right. The team's ongoing awful situation at this position was highlighted yet again in Sunday's 38-20 home loss to the division-rival Atlanta Falcons.

With Tommy Tremble out due to a concussion, the team activated Ian Thomas for the first time this season against Atlanta and he had a tough 2024 debut. Thomas was targeted by Andy Dalton three times and didn't catch any of them. The worst miss was a pretty brutal turnover in the fourth quarter when Dalton got picked off by Falcons cornerback A.J. Terrell on a pass intended for Thomas.

According to Mike Kaye at the Charlotte Observer here's what Thomas said happened on the play.

Ian Thomas to Charlotte Observer on INT

"I kind of felt (AJ Terrell) on my inside, but I didn't think he was that fast to like jump it like that. Kudos to him for that, but he made a great play on the ball, and yeah so, he just got that one. It was an over route. He was outside leverage on me from the jump. And I kind of stemmed him vertical, just to get across. And he (expletive) took off, and them two steps turned into zero steps right away. The two steps ahead of him turned to zero."

Sometimes a DB just makes a great play on the ball and there's nothing anybody can do about it. In any case it's difficult to blame Thomas too much for this one (Dalton also threw another inside the two-minute warning), since this was his first action of the year. He's also a better blocker than a receiver and the Panthers have always known that. Thomas probably shouldn't been asked to make a big catch in a clutch moment like that in any case.

Ja'Tavion Sanders progress report

Elsewhere on the depth chart, rookie Ja'Tavion Sanders did finally flash a little bit here and there, catching five of seven targets and totaling 49 yards. However, he also lost a fumble, adding to an already extensive list of rookie mistakes through six games - most of all too many drops - even for a rookie. This was by far his best game yet, though. Hopefully Sanders can build on it and clean up his ball security issues, because the Panthers don't have a whole lot of other options.

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