LANDOVER, Md. -- Seven years in the league should have taught William Floyd better. "Bar None" shouldn't be outsmarted by a rookie, but he was.

The Panthers lost 20-17 to the Redskins on Sunday in part because of his blunder during a three-play stretch in the second quarter.

	Floyd

Leading 10-7 with about four minutes left in the second quarter, quarterback Steve Beuerlein was sacked on a second-and-goal at the Redskins 2 when he couldn't find a receiver open in the end zone.

Floyd was blocking Redskins first-round choice LaVar Arrington and didn't like Arrington's hands on his face mask. No flag. Arrington pushed Floyd. No flag. Floyd pushed back.

Flag and 15-yard penalty on Carolina.

"Coaches have always told me that I should never push back," Floyd said. "He grabbed me by the face mask and I went after him."

The penalty put the Panthers on the Redskins 22. Beuerlein got the Panthers to the Redskins 9. But Richie Cunningham missed a 27-yard field goal. Check Monday's waiver transactions because Cunningham might be on them.

Floyd won't be cut, but he knows his mistake was inexcusable and may have cost the Panthers a game. A touchdown would have put the Panthers ahead 17-7 and the way that coach George Seifert was containing Norv Turner's offense with safe pass coverages may have been enough to beat the Redskins.

"I think that's unfortunate," Seifert said of Floyd's 15-yard unsportsmanlike conduct penalty. "I don't believe that will ever happen again from William. We've got to learn to control ourselves in those situations."

Arrington, the Redskins' top pick, didn't register in the tackle totals, and he was quick to leave the locker room after the game. But his skirmish with Floyd was the turning point that caused the Panthers to miss a critical scoring chance.

Fab Four plays plenty of hits
So much for the idea of limiting Reggie White and Eric Swann to 15 plays a game. White and Swann each played around 35 plays and showed flashes of dominance even though statistically they had only three tackles between them. Coach George Seifert started the All-Name defensive line of White, Swann, Sean Gilbert and Chuck Smith although he was quick to rest White and Swann after four or five plays.

White showed his powerful "club" move by lifting left tackle Chris Samuels a couple times with his right arm swing. Swann drew double-team blocking at times from the defensive tackle position and drove two blockers back.

But Carolina's dream D-line still has a way to go. Redskins quarterback Brad Johnson escaped the game without getting sacked, and Smith played the game with a sore knee that has been bothering him throughout camp. He had a tackle and no sacks.

Enemy sabotage?
For the second consecutive year, Beuerlein had trouble hearing his radio receiver in his helmet in FedEx Field. At one point in the second quarter, he looked frustrated as he yelled to the sidelines that he can't hear the coach's play calls.

"You have to wonder if something is being done with it in this field," Beuerlein said. "It is an issue."

Credit goes to Coleman
As dominating as Bruce Smith was making five tackles and two sacks and forcing a fumble, a lot of credit has to go to left defensive end Marco Coleman. Coleman drew single blocking and had five tackles and two sacks.

Asked if anyone can block the Redskins' defensive line with Coleman playing at a high level, Smith said, "No."

"I was tickled to death when I had the opportunity to play with Coleman," Smith said. "When I was selecting the team I was coming to, one of the things I was looking at was the rest of the defensive line. I knew we had a talented line with Dan Wilkinson and Dana Stubblefield and Marco, but we have some other guys with depth."

Redskins coach Norv Turner says the Redskins are seven deep for talent on the defensive line.

Smith suffered a knee injury in the third quarter but returned to play. He said it might bother him Sunday night.

John Clayton is the senior NFL writer for ESPN.com.