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Carolina Panthers’ Top Performers, Andy Dalton, Adam Thielen, Miles Sanders, Reflect On 0-3 Start, View Next NFL Opportunity Vs. 0-3 Minnesota Vikings

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Succeeding as a true underdog, Carolina Panthers wide receiver Adam Thielen was discovered at Div. II Minnesota State and received his first NFL break via tryout camp.

Over the next nine seasons with the Minnesota Vikings, Thielen developed into a two-time Pro Bowl possession receiver. Next Sunday, the winless Vikings venture to Bank of America Stadium.

No time for Thielen, a Detroit Lakes, Minn. native, to embrace a personal reunion.

The Panthers are 0-3 and “everybody has to look themselves in the mirror,” running back Miles Sanders told SI.com.

Thielen and Andy Dalton also spoke out on the Panthers’ poor September performance.

Panthers WR Adam Thielen: ‘O-3 Never Feels Good’

Thielen signed a three-year, $25 million contract during the offseason, understanding he would be working with a young quarterback. His presence was intended to help a young roster.

During Sunday’s 37-27 loss at Seattle, Thielen hauled in 11 catches for 145 yards and a fourth-quarter touchdown.

“First of all, frustrated. 0-3 never feels good,” he said. “We have so much confidence. I know I do, individually. I know this team does, our coach does. So, to be where we’re at, obviously, it’s not where we want to be.”

Thielen suggested the locker room should adopt a new attitude during this week’s practices.

“We knew that it was going to be a process to this season, but we got to find a way to be urgent,” he said. “We’re too good to just go through the season and just kind of waste it away.

“We got to be urgent in the way that we prepare.”

QB Andy Dalton: ‘Be Honest With Yourself’

Dalton replaced ineffective starter Bryce Young, who suffered an ankle injury during the Sept. 18 loss to the New Orleans Saints on Sept. 18. The veteran backup went 34-for-58 for 361 yards and two touchdowns. He recorded an 88.4 quarterback rating.

Still, without much of a running game, the Panthers’ one-dimensional offense wasn’t enough to overcome eight false-start penalties, seven by offensive linemen.

“I think at the end of the day you put your head down, you look and see what you can do to get it fixed,” Dalton said. “You’ve got to look in the mirror, see how you played, and be honest with yourself. This is a long season, you know. There’s a lot of really good teams that have lost three in a row.

“Ours just happens to be these first three.”

With Young’s status uncertain, coach Frank Reich declined to name Dalton the early-week starter against the Vikings. No matter, the 13-year veteran understands his mentorship role.

Dalton said: “For us, the whole goal is to get things fixed, get things right, and to play our best football, and we have not played our best football yet.”

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