The Panthers have some interesting young weapons and modern concepts on offense, but they’re still a mostly traditional kind of team that prides itself on running the ball well and stopping the run. While the numbers suggest they should focus more on passing and pass coverage in general, it never hurts to have a solid run defense. That’s partly why last season was so disappointing.
It must have pained coach Ron Rivera to watch his defense struggle against the run last year. Missed tackles and assignments were issues for much of the season – at least until Rivera took over the defense in December.
Despite making some significant additions to the front-seven this offseason like Gerald McCoy and Bruce Irvin, Pro Football Focus has Carolina ranked No. 23 in run defense going into 2019.
If that sounds exceedingly low to you, you’re probably not wrong. When the games actually begin, the Panthers should prove to be much more formidable against the run than that.
The most important factor here is that Rivera will be keeping his hand on the defensive reins right from the start. He’s going to be calling the plays this season and how well he does will likely play a huge role in both how well the team does and if he returns as head coach in 2020.
