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Panthers Defense

Jeremy Igo

By Jeremy Igo,
in Carolina Panthers

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TarHeel69 Community Regular

TarHeel69

Posted
Posted

I have two areas of concern.  Oline and Dline.  I think our secondary can hold up but I'm not sure we get much of a pass rush.  Oakland's Offensive line is solid.  The name Kony Ealy only strikes fear in the heart of the nearest hotdog stand, because eating is the only thing I can imagine he's put any effort into since the superb owl.  And then there's Ryan Delaire, A.K.A "Flash in The Pan" that runs himself completely out of the play or spends his time laying on the ground acting like he's making snow angels.  Cam is gonna do his best to win this game on offense even with this patchwork Oline that is as porous as a collander.  If we win, it will be on Cam's shoulders.  I'll go with the optimistic 27-24, but not because of our defense.

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Jangler Apprentice

Jangler

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tbh the slow starts hurt more than anything, it took 6-8 weeks to start gelling. Offensively, the Oline is the biggest problem. Cam just doesn't have time. It's all on the defense, and they realized it and stepped up. Now if Shula will just call plays to help Cam out.

 

 

 

oh yeah. Gettledouche something.

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PantherBuckeye89 Newbie

PantherBuckeye89

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3 hours ago, TarHeel69 said:

I have two areas of concern.  Oline and Dline.  I think our secondary can hold up but I'm not sure we get much of a pass rush.  Oakland's Offensive line is solid.  The name Kony Ealy only strikes fear in the heart of the nearest hotdog stand, because eating is the only thing I can imagine he's put any effort into since the superb owl.  And then there's Ryan Delaire, A.K.A "Flash in The Pan" that runs himself completely out of the play or spends his time laying on the ground acting like he's making snow angels.  Cam is gonna do his best to win this game on offense even with this patchwork Oline that is as porous as a collander.  If we win, it will be on Cam's shoulders.  I'll go with the optimistic 27-24, but not because of our defense.

We need to get more physical on both fronts period.

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CPantherKing Grand Master

CPantherKing

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As long as the offense can put up 20 points and shut out the opponent through 3 quarters, they will always keep it close.

Does a defense that must not give up a TD in the first 3 quarters to have a shot at winning in the 4th quarter give you hope?

The Panthers have given up 44 points in the 4th quarter in the past 3 games. Does that give you hope?

The Panthers need to be happy they have 4 wins in 10 weeks with the way their defense implodes on itself in the 2nd half, and definitely collapses in the 4th quarter.

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iamhubby1 Veteran

iamhubby1

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7 minutes ago, CPantherKing said:

As long as the offense can put up 20 points and shut out the opponent through 3 quarters, they will always keep it close.

Does a defense that must not give up a TD in the first 3 quarters to have a shot at winning in the 4th quarter give you hope?

The Panthers have given up 44 points in the 4th quarter in the past 3 games. Does that give you hope?

The Panthers need to be happy they have 4 wins in 10 weeks with the way their defense implodes on itself in the 2nd half, and definitely collapses in the 4th quarter.

 

The Panthers have won 3 of their last 4. Does that give you hope?

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PantherBuckeye89 Newbie

PantherBuckeye89

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5 minutes ago, iamhubby1 said:

 

The Panthers have won 3 of their last 4. Does that give you hope?

I love this team, I'll never root for us to lose for draft picks like some fans, with the exception of 2010(sorry).....

But, no, I have little hope. The Chiefs loss ripped my football heart out because we were building momentum, dominated them for three quarters, and then proceeded to sh*t the bed 2011-2012 style.

Why do I have such little hope? Injuries, our offense is only good for one half, and for as good as our defense has been over the years with McDermott we have had one consistent problem that nobody talks about. We are not a "closeout" defense. A lot of games we win come down to hanging on for dear life. And that's the lack of a consistent pass rush since Hardy leaving and lacking the impact Safety this defense needs.

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PantherBuckeye89 Newbie

PantherBuckeye89

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Just now, PantherBuckeye89 said:

I love this team, I'll never root for us to lose for draft picks like some fans, with the exception of 2010(sorry).....

But, no, I have little hope. The Chiefs loss ripped my football heart out because we were building momentum, dominated them for three quarters, and then proceeded to sh*t the bed 2011-2012 style.

Why do I have such little hope? Injuries, our offense is only good for one half, and for as good as our defense has been over the years with McDermott we have had one consistent problem that nobody talks about. We are not a "closeout" defense. A lot of games we win come down to hanging on for dear life. And that's the lack of a consistent pass rush since Hardy leaving and lacking the impact Safety this defense needs. See, ya'll want to talk about CB. Nah, watch the scheme closely and join me in crying out for a stud at Safety. Coleman is fine....as a centerfielding FS. But I'd kill for Jamal Adams in the 2017 draft.

 

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    • MHS831
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      It is time to take a look at the defense.  Without further ado do.... Edge (OLB):  I think we overpaid for Jaelan Phillips, but he is constant pressure with 73 pressures in 2025, ranking 9th in the NFL.  In all, he was the 20th (of 111) rated pass rushing edge in 2025 according to PFF, putting him in the top 20% in the nfl.  With a pair of solid ILBs beside him and if we can get Wharton going, I think the sum of the parts will make him better than he was in Philly.  Furthermore, with second-year pro Princely Umanmielen behind him, I expect him to grow with the tutoring and competition. On the other side, the duo of Nick Scourton and Patrick Jones II is strong, in my view.  Scourton generated 34 total pressures as a pass rusher. That total included 8 sacks, 23 hurries, 3 hits. Against the run, he recorded 28 solo tackles. For a rookie, second round, edge, that is great.  He also forced 1 fumble on the season. Jones was decent in 2025 in just 131 snaps, but he is solid veteran depth.   We seem to lack the elite pass rusher, but this rotational unit will be a big upgrade over last season.  Expect Scourton and Princely to show improvement. While it is unlikely that we add more to edge this draft, you can never have too many pass rushers (well, you can--two sophomores and two veterans is a good mix). Would the Panthers take an edge if one was sitting there? Absolutely. Defensive End:  Derrick Brown is a stud.  I did not notice how dominant he became as a pass rusher.  His PFF pass-rush grade of 72.0 ranked 23rd among 134 qualified interior defensive linemans. His run-defense grade of 66.3 ranked 22nd at the position. He generated 35 total pressures as a pass rusher. That total included 6 sacks, 23 hurries, 6 hits. On the other side:  What the hell?  Tershawn Wharton earned a 40.8 overall PFF defensive grade in the 2025 season, 127th among 134 qualified interior defensive linemans. His PFF pass-rush grade of 57.0 ranked 95th among 134 qualified interior defensive linemen. His run-defense grade of 34.8 ranked 125th at the position. However, Wharton needs to be situational and we really need a few DEs who can plug and pressure.  LaBryan Ray is an interior defensive lineman for the Carolina Panthers who earned a 45.7 overall PFF defensive grade in the 2025 season.  You cannot tell me that we are not going to add a DE.  In my view, this is a HUGE need that we have not adequately addressed.  There were only 3 DEs in the NFL who played more snaps that Derrick Brown.  We have to give him more blows during the game.  So After Brown, we have 2 other players who need to improve a lot to reach mediocre. Nose Tackle:  Of course, a NT might move out some to help stuff the run at DE opposite Brown, and stats do not always reflect on a NT's actual value.  Bobby Brown III earned a 54.1 overall PFF defensive grade in the 2025 season, 80th among 134 qualified interior defensive linemen.  His PFF pass-rush grade of 51.1 ranked 126th among 134 qualified interior defensive linemans. His run-defense grade of 57.8 ranked 51st at the position.   Behind him, Cam'Ron Jackson is an  earned a 45.5 overall PFF defensive grade in the 2025 season.   The defensive line is weak, based on 2025 performance rankings in PFF.  After DBrown, they pretty much suck.  These are the guys our ILBs will be counting on. Inside Linebacker:  Devin Lloyd earned a 89.1 overall PFF defensive grade in the 2025 season, 3rd among 88 qualified linebackers. His PFF coverage grade of 81.1 ranked 3rd among 88 qualified linebackers. His run-defense grade of 83.2 ranked 11th at the position. His pass-rush grade of 82.2 ranked 5th among qualified linebackers.  He's good.  At the moment, beside him is Trevin Wallace  who earned a 55.9 overall PFF defensive grade in the 2025 season, 57th among 88 qualified linebackers. His PFF coverage grade of 64.5 ranked 25th among 88 qualified linebackers. His run-defense grade of 42.3 ranked 85th at the position. His pass-rush grade of 64.2 ranked 45th among qualified linebackers.  Wallace was best as a coverage LB, and based on my memory, I am not sure he was in the top third, but if PFF says so...however, he was nearly last vs. the run.  We need better to play beside Lloyd.  Bam Morris-Scott earned a 37.6 overall PFF defensive grade. To put that in perspective, I was rated by PFF at 32.3 on my couch.   Cherilus Claudin is the third best ILB on the roster right now. He earned a 59.2 overall PFF defensive grade in just over 200 snaps.  Having lost Rozeboom, the Panthers are very thin behind Lloyd.  Look for a starting-caliber ILB in the draft.  Wallace is not the guy, but he is decent depth. Nickel CB:  Chau Smith-Wade  earned a 57.0 overall PFF defensive grade in the 2025 season, 79th among 114 qualified cornerbacks. His PFF coverage grade of 57.2 ranked 79th among 114 qualified cornerbacks. His run-defense grade of 55.4 ranked 77th at the position.  For a nickel, he played a lot--garnering over 600 snaps.  Corey Thornton was a pleasant surprise, until he was injured.  However, in just 127 snaps, he was very good, earning a 68.5 overall PFF defensive grade.  I think he can play outside in a pinch, but nickel might be his gig.  I am not sold that Nickel is in good hands, but Thornton is promising.  Smith-Wade is average, and with the experience he has accumulated, we are probably not prioritizing Nickel, but there are some good nickels in the draft. Cornerback:  Michael Jackson should have been in the pro bowl.  He earned a 79.1 overall PFF defensive grade in the 2025 season, 4th among 114 qualified cornerbacks. His PFF coverage grade of 80.9 ranked 3rd among 114 qualified cornerbacks. His run-defense grade of 67.2 ranked 36th at the position. He recorded 4 interceptions on the season. Jackson broke up 9 passes in coverage. He allowed a 72.9 passer rating when targeted by opposing quarterbacks --SOLID!!  Our second-best CB, Jaycee Horn, was in the pro bowl.  He earned a 57.8 overall PFF defensive grade in the 2025 season, 76th among 114 qualified corner.backs. His PFF coverage grade of 61.6 ranked 61st among 114 qualified cornerbacks. His run-defense grade of 50.5 ranked 87th at the position.  He recorded 5 interceptions on the season.  Our CBs had NINE interceptions in 2025.  It is doubtful they duplicate that figure, but Jackson was our best CB.   We are thin at CB, but the two we put out there are solid.  Nickel, at this time, is "meh," but both are developing and should improve.  A great draft for Nickel.  The Panthers will add a CB somehow. Safety:  For now, Trevon Moehrig is as advertised--above average vs. the run, below average in coverage, making him average. He earned a 64.3 overall PFF defensive grade in the 2025 season, 50th among 98 qualified safeties. 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