It was a simple slant, an easy catch for what may have been a first down.
But quarterback Joe Flacco's second-quarter pass bounced off wide receiver Jacoby Jones' fingertips and fell incomplete. Jones got up with a flustered look on his face and headed to the sideline.
Official drop statistics are not kept, but according to Pro Football Focus (PFF), Jones has four so far this year.
No matter what the stats are, Jones definitely hasn't been himself. He has just three catches for 20 yards through four games.
Jones wasn't targeted by another pass after his drop against the Panthers. Wide receiver Marlon Brown got more offensive snaps and caught three passes for 31 yards.
"The plays that I'm not making, I make in my sleep," Jones said. "I'm in a funk, and I've got to keep working to get out of it. That's all."
Jones has always been known more for explosiveness than soft hands. But at no point last year did he have a problem with drops.
His teammates have been staying in his ear trying to encourage him.
"They're all supportive. We're all talking, they tell me to keep my head [up], stay the course, keep working on stuff," Jones said. "Every great player goes through it. Just got to keep tapping at it."
Flacco hasn't lost confidence in his receiver.
"I honestly don't even think about that stuff," Flacco said. "It happens, and I get over it like that [snaps his fingers]. It's the nature of the game. Things like that are going to happen. I'm going to miss some throws.
"That's the last thing Jacoby should be worrying about, and that's the last thing I want him to worry about. All he should be thinking is positive thoughts, and going out there, and getting ready to make some big plays for us, because that's what he's going to do."
Jones isn't struggling because of a lack of work. Head Coach John Harbaugh said Jones catches hundreds of balls on the JUGS machine every day. He's catching balls in practice.
Just as he said a week ago, Harbaugh believes it's a mental problem.
"Sometimes I think he's pressing," Harbaugh said on Monday. "I really do.
"Jacoby has a lot of pride, and he's made big, big plays in this league before, and he wants to pick up where he left off. [That] hasn't happened for him, but the thing he has to know – just like Torrey [Smith], just like anybody – is that the key is persistence."
The Ravens, and their opponent this Sunday in Indianapolis, believe Jones could break out at any time. That's just the kind of player he is.
Jones caught 37 passes for 455 yards and two scores last year, including a 66-yard touchdown against the New York Jets.
He can also explode in the special teams return game, where his longest return so far this season was for 47 yards. He had a 77-yard touchdown last year, and 108-yard score in 2012.
"He'll get past it. All he has to do is catch one big play and then he's back to Jacoby," said cornerback Jimmy Smith.
"If you know anything about him, you're not going to let your guard down," Colts Head Coach Chuck Pagano said. "We certainly cannot do that. He's a great returner – not a good one – he's a great one. At any point in any game, he can take one to the house and break your back. That's a game-changer that could cost you a football game."
