Worrying Trend Must End In 2026 For Carolina Panthers

The Carolina Panthers were not very bully connected 3rd down in 2025. Their defense was beautiful awful. So galore times, they'd person nan opposing discourtesy successful third-and-long but failed to forestall a large play.

On offense, they struggled to person 3rd downs arsenic well, but it wasn't arsenic glaring a problem arsenic it was connected defense. Still, some of those things request to alteration successful 2026 if this squad is going to proceed improving.

Carolina Panthers must amended third-down discourtesy and defense

The Carolina Panthers were, overall, 1 of nan worst third-down teams successful nan NFL past twelvemonth erstwhile nan down and region was 8 yards aliases more. That's not ever a winnable business connected offense, but it is connected defense.

However, nan Panthers were atrocious connected some sides. They had, by far, nan worst third-and-long defense successful nan NFL, allowing offenses to person astatine an unmatched rate. On nan floor plan above, they were each by themselves successful nan corner.

They weren't very bully connected offense, either. When it was third-and-eight aliases more, they converted much than only a fistful of offenses: nan Kansas City Chiefs, New York Jets, and Tennessee Titans. They were connected par pinch nan Cleveland Browns.

That's not bully institution to beryllium in. Now, portion of this is intentional. The Panthers were nan astir fierce fourth-down squad successful nan NFL by a wide margin, truthful erstwhile it was 3rd down, they were often trying to get it to a manageable 4th down.

That meant throwing short of nan sticks connected third-and-eight to group up fourth-and-two, a business they felt they could triumph in. Still, they don't request to unrecorded connected 4th down, truthful that is thing that needs to (and should) amended successful 2026.

The protect broadside of nan shot is truthful overmuch much problematic. They were conscionable consecutive up allowing conversions, which is highly troubling. Ejiro Evero's area strategy meant receivers would beryllium open, but they were astir often unfastened astatine aliases beyond nan sticks.

It's 1 point to let a completion, but it's different to either not defender nan first-down marker good aliases to fto YAC get nan discourtesy to nan first down. Neither 1 is good, and it has to alteration if this squad wants to do thing successful 2026.

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