Carolina Panthers: 3 things defense must make happen

Forcing fumbles and changing momentum

This is a stat that falls under the category of “You can only go up from here.” The Carolina Panthers forced only one fumble (and lost it) against the opposition’s running game in 2017. That ranked them last among all teams.

With the additions of players such as Dontari Poe and Da’Norris Searcy, that can only help things. For a run defense that was ranked No. 3 in the National Football League last year, this comes in as a surprising statistic. For purpose of comparison, Tampa Bay forced nine fumbles to lead all NFC South teams, Atlanta forced eight, and New Orleans forced five.

Carolina needs to be more aggressive during the tackling process. I know it is easier said than done. After all, game speed is a lot different than drill speed. Even still, they need to do whatever they can to punch the ball out if they are tackling a running back or be sure to land the big hit when they are tackling a fullback. The fullbacks tend to have a bit more muscle on them and are harder to bring down.

If they can be aggressive and cause more fumbles, that would be a tremendous asset to the offense, and get them back out on the field quicker.