Carolina Panthers’ opponents are exploiting a major defensive weakness for big plays
Carolina’s slumping start isn’t limited to just its offense.
While all eyes are on head coach Frank Reich — the team’s chief play-caller on offense — and rookie quarterback Bryce Young, the Panthers’ defense has struggled with a major issue that’s been glaring since Week 1.
With injuries piling up, defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero has done an effective job of mitigating big plays in the passing game with his scheme. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for his run defense, which ranks in the bottom-third of the league in most categories.
“Some of that is by the nature of how we play, some of that is we’ve got to play with better fundamentals and schemes — coaches and players,” Evero said Thursday. “And so, we’ve just got to be better. I think we know there’s a lot of room for improvement, there’s been a lot of good moments, but there’s been some explosive moments that we want to take back. So, we’ve got to understand and understand how to be better in the future.”
The Panthers, at times, have acknowledged their impressive third-down defensive average, which ranks second in the league with a 29.82% conversion rate. But the defense’s porous presence against the run has helped opponents routinely avoid the “money” down during the first five weeks of the season.
Panthers struggle to prevent big gains
The Panthers have allowed 21 explosive runs (carries of 10 or more yards) in five games, with 20 of those big plays coming on first or second down. Those big runs have helped opponents average 4.86 yards per carry — the fifth-largest average allowed in the league — against Carolina.
And as the Panthers prepare to face off against the explosive Miami Dolphins on Sunday, the task of limiting big gains on the ground will be paramount, especially on early downs.
“I do think a key for us in this game, when you look at the Dolphins, they average fewer third downs per game than anything other team,” Reich said. “Why is that? Because they don’t get to third down. They go first down, second down, first down, second down.”
With big chunks being picked up on the ground on a routine basis, Carolina’s opponents have been able to get into a rhythm with their rushing attack.
Opposing offenses are picking up nearly as much yardage on the ground as in the air (a middling 6.7 yards per pass average), so coordinators are choosing to lean on the run nearly as much as the pass (48.82% — highest opponent run average in the league). So far, that approach has paid off, as running backs have been imposing their will on a weekly basis with limited interruption.
“When guys try to do too much, I feel like that’s when we kind of struggle,” linebacker Frankie Luvu said the run defense. “As the play and the game goes on, I feel like if guys are trying to make plays and plays are not coming their way, they’re trying to do too much.”
Too many rushing TDs
The Panthers are tied with the New York Giants for the most rushing touchdowns allowed this season with nine scores, as the Carolina red-zone defense has faltered in the opposite direction of its third-down efficiency.
The Panthers are allowing a 68.42% conversion rate in the red zone, which ranks as the fifth-worst allowed average in the league. Their goal-to-go allowance of 84.62% ranks 24th overall.
Those red-zone issues are largely based on a poor run defense, which has been over-matched against teams like the New Orleans Saints, Detroit Lions and Atlanta Falcons.
“I think the biggest thing, of course, is just stopping the explosives — the runs — just everybody doing their jobs and staying in their gap,” linebacker Chandler Wooten said. “Just understanding what we’re trying to do — nobody trying to do too much and try to play outside of what they’re supposed to do. Just everybody doing their jobs — that’s a big thing this week.”
The Panthers have allowed an individual ball-carrier to gain at least 75 rushing yards in every game this season. The defense also surrendered two rushing touchdowns to a single player in each of their first three games. By comparison, the Panthers have only allowed seven total passing touchdowns in their first five games.
Against the Lions in Week 5, the Panthers allowed Detroit’s top running back David Montgomery and backup Craig Reynolds to combine for 161 yards and two touchdowns on just 26 carries (6.2 yards per carry). Montgomery also became the seventh rusher in five games to average at least five yards per carry with nine or more totes against Carolina.
“Obviously, we made the opposite end (in Detroit) look like we just couldn’t do anything,” defensive tackle Nick Thurman said. “And I think the challenge this week is just getting back to our fundamentals, getting back to what we need to do, and going out there and showing it.”
With a trip to Miami this weekend — and matchups against the Indianapolis Colts and Tennessee Titans looming after the Week 7 bye — the Panthers need to fix their run defense in a hurry, or risk being run over by the likes of Raheem Mostert, Jonathan Taylor and Derrick Henry in the near future.
Said Evero: “We know that if we work together and everybody executes, we can get it done.”
Burns, Brown fail to practice Thursday
The Panthers’ quest to tighten up against explosive plays on the ground took a bit of a hit on Thursday, as defensive lineman Derrick Brown (knee/ankle) and pass rusher Brian Burns (ankle) were added to the team’s did not participate list.
After working in a limited capacity on Wednesday, Burns and Brown were sidelined for Thursday’s session. Running back Miles Sanders (shoulder) and guard Chandler Zavala (neck) also were held out of practice for the second consecutive day.
Here is the full injury list from Thursday:
DNP: RB Miles Sanders (shoulder), OLB Brian Burns (ankle), DT Derrick Brown (knee/ankle), OT Taylor Moton (knee/rest), TE Giovanni Ricci (shoulder), G Chandler Zavala (neck), S Xavier Woods (hamstring)
Limited: S Vonn Bell (quadriceps), LB Kamu Grugier-Hill (back), G Calvin Throckmorton (calf), G Austin Corbett (knee)
Full: CB Donte Jackson (shoulder), TE Stephen Sullivan (hip)
This story was originally published October 12, 2023 at 12:00 PM.
