A Pro Bowl snub? Maybe, but defensive end’s impact on Panthers is clear
In the NFL, there are a variety of ways to measure success.
For a long time, one of those ways has been through Pro Bowl voting — or a player’s number of career Pro Bowls. There’s less meaning behind a Pro Bowl nod these days: The voting that takes place among players, coaches and fans has turned into a bit of a popularity contest and has its flaws.
The Carolina Panthers did not have a single player voted to the 2021 Pro Bowl, which is not unusual for a 4-10 team. Of the players on the Panthers’ roster, defensive end Brian Burns seemed most fitting for the recognition.
In his second season, Burns has 56 tackles, eight sacks, seven tackles for loss and 20 quarterback hits. He also has three forced fumbles. Compared with the NFC defensive ends who did make the cut — Chase Young, Cameron Jordan and Brandon Graham — there’s a good case that Burns should be on this year’s virtual Pro Bowl roster over those other players.
In reality, the numbers don’t really do justice the jump he’s had from year one to year two, and those improved numbers are not honestly analyzed when Pro Bowl votes are cast. Not having a hand injury like he did his rookie year has helped in 2020, as former Panthers head coach Ron Rivera pointed out this week. In a different scheme than he was drafted for, however, Burns has become a player teams have to account for.
He is listed as “questionable” for Sunday’s game against Washington at 4:05 p.m. on CBS due to a knee injury he suffered last week against the Packers, but he’s not expected to play. Burns’ absence causes Carolina to change the defense that it plays. If that does not tell you about one player’s impact, I don’t know what will.
“We’ve been having a lot of success in our three-down package, which Brian can get to by just simply standing up and walking out,” head coach Matt Rhule. “We have done it with Marquis (Haynes) some, but Marquis, we feel more comfortable with him with his hand in the dirt. So I think we’ll just be a little bit more traditional, take out the three-down stuff, play more of the four-down stuff.”
The Panthers could use some depth on the defensive line, but Burns’ performance has helped the players around him be better. He’s also making plays at the right time, with 3.5 of his sacks coming in the fourth quarter.
“He’s a dynamic guy, and we use him in a lot of different roles. So it affects what personnel groups we use and so it kind of limits what we can do,” defensive coordinator Phil Snow said. “The package won’t be as full as it normally is because of his versatility and then, obviously, he makes big plays at big times, so we’ll miss that.”
If Burns keeps playing like this, the Pro Bowls will come. The effort, impact and growth he has shown have been undeniable.
Facts for Sunday’s game:
▪ With Sunday’s game between the Panthers and the Washington Football Team moving to 4:05 p.m., it will be the fourth time Carolina is not playing in the 1 p.m. window this season.
▪ Carolina is 6-9 against Washington all-time.
▪ Panthers quarterback Teddy Bridgewater is currently the Panthers’ second leading rusher with 265 yards. Mike Davis leads with 614 yards and Christian McCaffrey is third (225).
▪ The Panthers defense doesn’t lead in many categories, but it does have the most fumble recoveries (13) in the NFL.
