Panthers coach: I wanted to jump out of team plane after loss to Falcons

Being an NFL player is stressful. Being a coach might just be even more taxing. Just ask Carolina Panthers defensive coordinator Sean McDermott what the job does to him.

After the Panthers were torched by Matt Ryan and the Falcons in Week 4, McDermott was understandably frustrated. His team had been burned by Julio Jones for 300 receiving yards and Ryan for 503 passing yards, making them the first duo in league history to reach those marks. It was an embarrassing performance by the Panthers' defense, so much so that McDermott wanted to take extreme measures on the flight home from Atlanta.

"Honestly? I wanted to open a window and jump," McDermott said jokingly on Tuesday, via the Charlotte Observer. "That's why you can't sleep at night. ... The plays that get away."

That game was a complete disaster in every sense of the word, from injuries to the mere inability to cover Atlanta's receivers. And sadly, it hasn't gotten much better since then for the Panthers. They're still last in the league in pass defense, proving more and more that letting cornerback Josh Norman leave last offseason was a huge mistake.

On the bright side, the Panthers are young in the secondary. They're currently starting two rookies, James Bradberry and Daryl Worley, who figure to be much improved in 2017.

"It's been fun to watch them come together," McDermott said. "They've got heart. They've got character. Going into the game last night I'm not sure anybody gave them a chance with how potent Washington's offense was to that point."

The Panthers can't afford to look toward next season just yet, though. They have to face the Falcons again on Saturday with Jones likely to return after missing two games.

Good luck to Carolina's rookie corners this time around -- they'll need it.