Dec 29, 2024; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) drops back to pass against the Carolina Panthers in the first quarter at Raymond James Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

Panthers’ defensive improvement must start vs. NFC South rivals

Originally posted on Carolina Panthers on SI
By Russell Baxter | Last updated Apr 14, 2025 11:56 AM ET

Ask any NFL coach and they will tell you their first priority is to put his team in the best position to win a division title. How you match up against your rivals is crucial. For instance, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have won four straight NFC titles. Each year, the club has owned a 4-2 record vs. its divisional foes.

Of course, the Carolina Panthers haven’t captured the NFC South since they were Super Bowl 50 bound in 2015. The team also hasn’t been to the playoffs since 2017. This past season, the club won four of its final nine games, this after dropping 22 of its previous 25 contests. During the second half of ‘24, quarterback Bryce Young really began to come into his own.

Let’s not bury the lead. The Panthers were simply miserable on defense in 2024 and that’s being kind. When a team allows the most points (534) in a single-season in NFL history, while also giving the most total yards, rushing yards, and TD passes this past season, there’s not a lot more that can be said. However, Dave Canales’s club was especially bad when it came to facing their three divisional rivals in ‘24.

In six combined clashes vs. the Atlanta Falcons, New Orleans Saints, and the aforementioned Buccaneers, Canales’s club allowed an astounding 460.3 total yards per game, and a disturbing 36.5 points per contest. In four of those six games, the Panthers allowed 38 or more points. Coordinator Ejiro Evero’s unit surrendered at least 180 yards rushing in each of those six outings, and gave up a total of 23 offensive touchdowns.

Nonetheless, the Panthers managed to defeat the Saints in a revenge match in Charlotte (23-22 in Week 9), and then contributed to the late-season collapse of the Falcons by knocking them off in overtime, 44-38, in Week 18 at Atlanta. It is worth noting that against their other 11 opponents in 2024, Carolina allowed “only” 374.1 yards per game and “just” 28.6 points per contest.

A healthy Derrick Brown would have helped this past season. In any case, it’s little wonder general manager Dan Morgan wasted little time in free agency adding veteran performers such as safety Tre’Von Moehrig, pass-rusher Patrick Jones II, and the defensive tackle combo of Bobby Brown III and Tershawn Wharton to this unit. The next question is just how many of Carolina’s nine draft choices will Morgan use to aid this defense.

This article first appeared on Carolina Panthers on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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