Panthers Notebook: Marshall misses opportunity on long Falcons' touchdown

■ Cornerback Richard Marshall could only shrug at the play that broke the Panthers' backs in their 45-28 loss to the Atlanta Falcons yesterday at the Georgia Dome.

Marshall slipped in coverage on what turned out to be a 69-yard pass from Matt Ryan to Harry Douglas to the Carolina 6-yard line, and the Falcons scored four plays later to push a 24-21 lead to 31-21 with 7:13 remaining.

"I can say I had a chance to make a play, now that it's over," Marshall said. "But, I mean, I didn't make a play and he made a play. That one play just killed us. I wish I had it back, but I've just got to look at film and see the mistake I made and correct it next time."

The Falcons faced third and 11 from their 25, nursing a 3-point lead, when Ryan seemed to underthrow Douglas in the left flat. Douglas adjusted and made the catch as Marshall slipped, then broke another tackle and went all the way to the 6-yard line before safety Chris Harris caught him.

"We were in two-man (coverage)," Marshall said. "I undercut it like I was supposed to. I turned my head and he stopped and came back, and the quarterback made a great throw. I slipped and he made a great catch and he was off and running."

Cornerback Ken Lucas said he thought that Marshall had good coverage.

"It was a fluky play," Lucas said. "I mean, it was great coverage but the ball was underthrown and the wide receiver just adjusted. That was a backbreaker for us."

■ The Panthers' defense was ranked fifth in the NFL in third-down efficiency coming into the game. But the Falcons converted 6 of 13 third-down situations and were 2 of 2 on fourth downs, including Michael Turner's 1-yard run that pushed the lead to 31-21.

Defensive tackle Damione Lewis said that was at the root of the Panthers' problems recently.

"We are not getting out on third down," Lewis said. "We are playing good defense on first and second down, but we are not playing good defense on third down. You have to get out on third down in this league. We have had a very high percentage of conversions but we haven't been doing it the last couple of weeks, and we need to take care of that."

Lewis also acknowledged the defense's recent inability to shut down the run. The Falcons ran for 133 yards yesterday, with Michael Turner rushing for 117 yards and four touchdowns on 24 carries.

The Panthers held Turner to 56 yards on 18 carries in a 24-9 win against the Falcons in Charlotte on Sept. 28.

"I think it all goes back to the start," Lewis said. "We didn't start fast against Oakland. We didn't start fast against Detroit. We didn't start fast today. We rely on being a pressure team and being able to play a lot of base defense and then allow the playmakers to make plays. But we haven't been doing that."

■ Running back DeAngelo Williams rushed for 101 yards on 19 carries for his fourth straight game of 100 yards or more. That ties a franchise record set by Stephen Davis in 2003 and Nick Goings in 2005.

None of that mattered to Williams afterward, though.

"We didn't do anything in the first half," Williams said. "Atlanta was making all of their plays and we didn't come to play. We can't continue to keep starting slow against good teams. The end result would be us losing if we continue to do that. But I don't think we will have (a problem) starting fast next week."

■ Linebacker Jon Beason was not about to concede anything afterward, and may have had the most eye-opening quote in the post-game locker room.

"I still think that team (Atlanta) believes they got away with one, regardless of what the score said," Beason said.

■ Coach Mike Smith of the Falcons said he never hesitated to go for a touchdown on fourth-and-goal from the 1-yard line with the Falcons leading 24-21. Michael Turner scored, running off the left side and bouncing off Beason's tackle near the goal line.

A field goal would have pushed the lead to 27-21 but would have kept the Panthers within a touchdown going into the final seven minutes.

"It was an easy decision in terms of having confidence in your football team," Smith said. "We had the ball on the 1-yard line and felt like we could punch it in."