The Carolina Panthers may still be in control of their playoff destiny, but their path to their first division title in a decade got a little longer last weekend.
Sunday’s 20-17 loss to the New Orleans Saints was a game riddled with mistakes. The Panthers, headlined by 11 penalties, looked far from sharp in their golden opportunity to seize the NFC South’s only possession.
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Most frustrating, even more frustrating than the violation, was the team’s defensive performance at the end of the game. Despite leading by 10 points, the team was unable to stop the Saints’ offense and set the stage for a disappointing loss.
So as we look at All-22 film, let’s try to figure out what went wrong for the defense in Week 15 — starting with the scheme.
Within the confines of the 3-4 scheme, the outside linebackers are still “off the ball” in a sense. This requires occasionally getting into coverage, but that may not always be an actionable strategy.
That’s why we see outside linebackers sink into hook, point drop, or flat shells to help mess with the quarterback’s eye. But those looks can sometimes create disadvantages, especially when some interior defensive linemen are also asked to take spot-up shots.
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We saw that with Derrick Brown at 320 pounds on Sunday. (Not exactly optimal in a general sense.)
There were some mental errors throughout the outing, some not obvious to the naked eye and you can only see them on video. In the second quarter, running back Devin Neal rushed for 15 yards, and rookie rusher Nic Scourton attacked the pulling left guard in the low post instead of confronting him head-on to break the rush route.
Trevin Wallace was out of position and became a magnet as inside linebacker Christian Rozeboom secured the run. There’s an argument to be made that Scotton made the mistake of not setting an edge.
Missed chances were also a habit for the Panthers defense on Sunday.
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A hot potato came up on a long drive in the second quarter, with cornerback Mike Jackson’s initial pass breakup before tight end Juwan Johnson blocked the rock. Jackson also had a fumble early in the second half that Rozboom was unable to recover.
These tactics, if developed in a different direction, would change the complexion of the game.
Additionally, we have to give New Orleans and head coach Kellen Moore credit for their game plan, as he took an impressive approach to opening holes in Carolina’s defensive coverage and player tendencies.
For example, Rozboom is an aggressive downhill linebacker who is a “get the ball when he sees it” player, and the Saints attack that aggression with the playmaking and trickery of quarterback Tyler Shough.
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The Saints rely on quick action and quick plays to blunt long drives. They countered by using the size of Johnson (6-foot-4, 231 pounds), wide receiver DeVaughn Wheeler (6-foot-5, 210 pounds) and Kevin Austin Jr. (6-foot-2, 200 pounds) up the middle to counter defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero’s exotic blitzes and tight formation pressure with two- or three-man concepts in the lower and middle positions.
Moore’s offensive scheme was excellent considering how good the Panthers were on defense.
In their next finals series against New Orleans, the Panthers’ linebackers will need better depth on the hook. But their inefficiency led to the Saints’ success in deep breakout mode.
On the first drive from the Panthers’ 32-yard line, with the defense in a Cover 3 cloud, we see Rozboom hit his hook curveball like he’s supposed to. But the pin on the thin stick pulled him away from the center of the field, clearing the way 16 yards for the scoring drive.
Overall, the Panthers defense struggled in this crucial game. Their performance is even more disappointing when you consider where things stand at the end of the season.
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This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: What went wrong for the Panthers defense in Week 15 loss?
