All season long, the Carolina Panthers have had to weather the storm brought about by their now-historically bad defense. Sunday’s washout at Raymond James Stadium was no different.
Quarterback Baker Mayfield and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers had their way with the visiting Panthers in Week 17, amassing 551 yards of total offense and 33 first downs in their dominant 48-14 shellacking. And this latest futile performance, even with the absences of a few key players, may have been the final straw in Carolina for defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero.
There was little, if any doubt that the Panthers defense was going to take a step back in 2024. The unit lost its three top sack artists from 2023—one of which was two-time Pro Bowler Brian Burns—and didn’t add much name value in return.
Carolina, rather, entrusted the state of their defense in Evero—who was expected to elevate the talent he was left with. But since his arrival, the group has gotten progressively worse.
No one expected this level of underwhelming play nor the injuries that would expose the lack of depth in the front seven. No one expected Evero’s defense to be within striking distance of a 43-year NFL record for most points allowed in a season.
Entering Week 18, the Panthers have allowed a league-high 396.3 yards per game. They’ve also allowed a league-high 31.0 points per game, with the next closest team at 27.8.
Simply put, and even putting the numbers aside, there has been very little “dawg” in this defense to speak of.
Long gone are the days of this franchise thriving off their daunting defense—where coaches such as John Fox, Ron Rivera and Sean McDermott led the way. Now, specifically over the last few seasons, the defense has seemingly become the league’s doormat.
Evero, a highly-respected individual, did deserve the benefit of the doubt for much of the campaign. Thanks to a handful of injuries, he’s been forced to make things work with players who may be best suited as practice-squad players or training-camp bodies. Much of the starting defense on Sunday was composed of players who weren’t even on the proverbial radar in Week 1.
From a coaching aspect, it is difficult to play the system you want to with a lack of talent at your disposal. Contrary to popular belief, talent matters in the NFL—and the Panthers defense has very little outside of defensive lineman Derrick Brown, outside linebacker Jadeveon Clowney and cornerback Jaycee Horn.
However, it is on the coaching staff to get the best out of your players and establish a culture of hard-hitting, competitive football. While Evero is a well-respected defensive mind, there haven’t been enough flashes of that in 2024.
The Panthers are in a tough spot.
Mutually parting ways with Evero would severe any sort of defensive continuity, which is important for a team that is in a rebuild. And perhaps head coach Dave Canales chooses that route and keeps with the vision.
But at this point, change may be needed.
The right thing for the Panthers to do this offseason is to part ways with Evero and start from scratch defensively. There is a laundry list of needs that must be addressed, and all of them aren’t likely to be filled. Carolina will be looking to raise the floor of their entire defense, a critical step to success on that side of the ball.
Their offseason path should start at defensive coordinator, with in-house candidate and secondary coach Jonathan Cooley and former New York Jets head coach Robert Saleh as a possibilities. Then, it stretches to the trenches, where they’ll have to add quality depth behind Brown and team sack-leader A’Shawn Robinson while bringing in pass rushers that can win consistently off the edge.
Linebacker will likely get a remodel with Josey Jewell at the MIKE position. The safety room should get a makeover as well after an inconsistent and unreliable year from both Xavier Woods and Jordan Fuller.
If general manager Dan Morgan really wants opposing teams to fear the Panthers and their defense like they used to, a fresh slate might be necessary.