Brian Burns emblematic of Panthers' struggles in rebuilding year - ESPN - Carolina Panthers Blog- ESPN

DETROIT — Forget the ongoing struggles of Carolina Panthers rookie quarterback Bryce Young for a moment and focus on the frustration that is building around him.

Focus on the frustration of outside linebacker Brian Burns, who was so mad after defensive tackle Nick Thurman jumped offside on fourth-and-1 with 10:56 remaining in Sunday’s 42-24 loss to the Detroit Lions that he came to the sideline and slammed his helmet.

The Panthers were well on their way to their fifth straight loss of the young season, and that play didn’t impact the outcome. But it was the kind of mistake that has plagued Carolina on both sides of the ball, and for a moment Burns let that get the best of him.

“Yeah, I was frustrated,’’ Burns said afterward. “My passion came out. After I did that I went to my defense to apologize and let them know I’m still here.

“But it’s a passionate game. It’s not right for me to lash out because we make mistakes all the time. I didn’t have a perfect game. Nobody had a perfect game by any means. So yeah, I’ve got to keep my composure.’’

In many ways, Burns embodies the predicament the Panthers are in heading into next week’s game against the 4-1 Miami Dolphins (1 p.m. ET, CBS) in South Florida.

Yes, there is frustration over an 0-5 start few saw coming during training camp. Burns, who is in the last year of his contract, didn’t see it. He explained after a Week 1 loss to the Atlanta Falcons why he didn’t hold out while unsuccessfully trying to negotiate a long-term deal: He saw potential for this defense and this team to be great.

And he felt he was going to be a big part of that, so he had to be on the field.

That hope was one of many reasons the organization — from coach Frank Reich to general manager Scott Fitterer