Benjamin didn’t record a catch, and he was targeted just once. Afterwards, quarterback Cam Newton called that “baffling.”
It was the first time in Benjamin’s career he didn’t record a catch in a game, and he had never had fewer than five targets previously.
“Yeah, we’ve got to find a way to get him the ball more. That starts with me,” offensive coordinator Mike Shula said. “But we’ve got to make sure we’re doing it in a way that we’re not just trying to force him the ball.”
Shula said there were a “variety” of reasons why Benjamin was ultimately shutout.