Football Outsiders - How Carolina's Linebackers Are The Core Of An Elite Pass D

[Saca312]

Interesting article on the defense. We all know its made leaps and bounds this year, but this article really dissects the essence of just how good it really is.

May even go in as far as who we factor in a showdown between keeping Bradberry or Thompson.

https://www.footballoutsiders.com/film-room/2019/film-room-carolina-linebackers

"

New England and San Francisco are in a tier of their own with respect to defensive dominance. They are the only two teams with a pass defense DVOA of -60.0% or better, while no other team is even at -30.0%. Every quarterback that faces either of those two defenses turns into postseason Andy Dalton. Beyond the two juggernauts, however, is another tier, occupied exclusively by the Carolina Panthers.

Ron Rivera's defense through six games (Carolina had their bye in Week 7) currently sits in third place in pass defense DVOA at -25.5%. The next-best pass defense, Kansas City, is only at -9.5%. Carolina has given up just 5.65 yards per attempt and seven passing touchdowns while intercepting nine passes. In large part because of excellent pass defense, their drive success rate (.667) and yards per drive (26.18) rank sixth and fourth, respectively, with only the Patriots, 49ers, and Bills ranking above them in both categories. Carolina is an elite defense only being outclassed by two other squads that are on pace for all-time great seasons.

...

Carolina's linebackers are the glue. Luke Kuechly and Shaq Thompson headline a unit capable of handling assignments that only a select handful of other linebacker groups in the league can match. Seattle, San Francisco, and Chicago all come to mind as comparable corps, all because of what their linebackers can be asked to do in coverage and how that serves to enable the rest of the defense.

The unit's success, aside from star talent at the top, can be in part attributed to excellent coaching. Carolina's linebackers play with refined technique and a sharp understanding of how to pass off routes in zones or match coverages.

...

When the Panthers had a league-best defense in 2015, it was this same dynamic at linebacker that propelled them to that pedestal. Thomas Davis Sr. was playing alongside Kuechly at the time, but Davis was an elite coverage defender too, and arguably even better at tracking routes developing in the underneath area. It has been a staple of Rivera's defense since he took over in 2011.

For as long as Kuechly and Thompson are in the lineup, this Panthers defense will continue to be among the best in the league. Their talents maximize the defense from the inside out, and the entire operation hinges on what they can enable others to do. Kuechly and Thompson aren't quite Patrick Willis and Navarro Bowman, but their value to this Panthers defense is similar. With the linebackers leading the charge, Carolina's defense can take the team as far as its quarterback situation allows them to."

[WoahW]

Luke is better than both Willis and Bowman just sayin’ 

[run-run-pass-punt]

2 minutes ago, Saca312 said:

New England and San Francisco are in a tier of their own with respect to defensive dominance. They are the only two teams with a pass defense DVOA of -60.0% or better, while no other team is even at -30.0%. Every quarterback that faces either of those two defenses turns into postseason Andy Dalton.

Which makes this Sunday particularly interesting in terms of the Cam/Kyle conversation. One game cannot make a definitive case, but if Kyle plays particularly well this weekend, taken in context with his first 5 starts, it will turn the screws a bit and really make things interesting.

*Not really the focus of your topic, but I had to mention something that stood out for me.

[electro's horse]

11 minutes ago, WoahW said:

Luke is better than both Willis and Bowman just sayin’ 

That's a weird comparison, since Willis and Kuechly were very different players. If it makes any sense, Kuechly is better in the secondary and Willis was better at the line. Kuechly is just a monster in coverage but obviously plays the run incredibly well. Willis was just the opposite. 

Both are great, obviously. Kuechly is an obvious HOF'er and Willis will have an argument. 

Bowman was a fuging monster for a while there. This is really Shaq's first season so we'll see how he progresses.