Carolina Panthers Defensive Report Card
Erik Livengood
DEFENSIVE LINE: A-
The ‘skinny’ of it all is that this entire unit played well despite Matt Rhule, but this phase of it shined the brightest. With the leadership of Derrick Brown and Brian “Spiderman” Burns, they hefty group started the first 7 weeks at the upper echelon against the run. That, however, as was shown with the rest of the juggernaut defense, would only let their numbers decline for the mere reality of benign offensive production. I am on the verge of lowering the grade to the B+ level. Taking into consideration having the most time, next to the Houston Texans on defense this year, can mitigate many faults that the line may have had. Taking that a step further, it applies to the whole of the defense. The overall takeaway from the ‘Big Men’ up-front is that they had tremendous success. It was just not as productive when the strain on the physical state began to take its toll. It wasn’t fair to ask for more action than a defense should.
Linebackers: B
With Shaq Thompson as the leader, the unit gelled more quickly than expected. Losing Haason Reddick was a substantial blow. The pass rush wasn’t quite the same but in the same breath, Thompson was up to the challenge with a team-high 135 tackles. Now there is a stud that stood out more than any could have expected. Frankie Luvu was an absolute menace in the backfield for Quarterbacks and really any skill position that got in hos way. Luvu racked up a team-high 19 tackles for loss (TFL) along with 7 QB sacks. The TFL number is only second to elite lineman Brian burns who totaled 19 respectfully. The loss of Luke Kuechly has been more than an empty space in both morale and talent. The Shaq Thompson has seemed to take his mentor’s advice over the year and kept the defensive side of the ball where they are at an elite level.
Secondary (Cornerbacks & Safeties): C+
The primary section that needs improvement is ironically the secondary. Jaycee Horn was a dominant force in the defensive backfield. Though he only recorded 3 INTs, he only once allowed a receiver over 100 yards. Bear in mind that he was up against players that include Mike Evans, DK Metcalf, and Jerry Jeudy to name a few. The other leader back there was Jeremy Chinn. The veteran Safety played only 11 games due to injury, but when he was putting toe to turf was an invaluable asset. Chinn is known for his aggressive hard-hitting style. The past couple of seasons he has become a serviceable piece in coverage and an absolute beast in the blitz scheme. He recorded only a single sack but was at an even 70 total tackles. That is an outstanding number for a defensive back by any standards. The only rub of it all was depth. Though injuries are part of the game, it is up to the organization to prepare for that contingency. The reserves performed as admirably as to be expected when Horn had his season cut short. This compounded the injury to Donte Jackson who plays opposite to Horn. When on the field simultaneously they are a top duo in the NFL. This tragically has not been the case on a consistent basis. Without the absence of consistent play hurts the grade of this part of the defense. However, when able to remain on the field they could be just as dominant as anyone.
Overall Grade: A-
Simply put, this squad was not responsible for the woes of this team. It is in fact the reason they were able to stay in the hunt for a struggling NFC South. Like other teams, their solution would heavily rely on the offense increasing the time of possession. Otherwise, there was only one main takeaway…stay healthy.
