LANDOVER, Md. – The Panthers were exhausted on defense, but they are exhausted on defense.

Mistakes on the other side of the ball were their downfall on Sunday, and it happened early.

A pair of Andy Dalton interceptions in the first quarter put the Panthers in an early hole from which they never climbed in a 40-7 loss in Washington.

The first possession undid an impressive drive that seemed to carry over the rest of the game.

Dalton, looking for Miles Sanders on a third screen, instead found linebacker Dante Fowler Jr., who took the interception 67 yards for a touchdown.

They then followed with a three-and-out and another quick interception, which set the tone for the rest of the day.

The Panthers gained just 180 yards, 95 on the ground, had just 10 first downs and were 3 of 10 on third-down conversions. Dalton finished 11 of 16 passing for 93 yards, with the two picks.

Meanwhile, Washington (the league’s second-highest scoring offense) finished with 421 yards, 214 of which came on the ground.