Eric Washington, Panthers defense learning on the fly

There is a noticeable learning curve for the Panthers defense.

To say that Sunday’s game for the Carolina Panthers left a lot to be desired would be an understatement. In spite of the team’s big 20-17 comeback against the Philadelphia Eagles, there still were many things that created glaring holes for the team.

One of the things most noticeable was the play of the defensive unit and not in a good way. Although they surrendered only 17 points, they gave up many big plays and put pressure on Cam Newton and the rest of the offense. The good news is that there is still plenty of time left in the season to correct the mistakes. The defensive unit still has a lot of room to grow under new coordinator Eric Washington, and the latter recognizes that. Per a report from Steve Taranto of 247Sports, Washington knows he needs to improve just as much as the players do.

"“It is a constant cat-and-mouse game between some of the things that we’re seeing, and some of the adjustments that they make, and then making the adjustments (on defense) in a timely fashion,” said Washington. “I felt good about our plan. … In the second half, I had a great idea of what we wanted to do and how to make some of the calls based on the situations that we found ourselves in to try and limit them. To make the quarterback hold the football, and to continue to do a great job against the run.”"

It is interesting that there is a feeling out process for Washington and this defense but it makes total sense. Many fans (and myself included) thought that it would be a smooth transition since Washington worked with the linebackers beginning in the 2011 season. However, now he has to account for more than just the linebackers.

He has to account for everybody on that defense. The good news here is that he is familiar with many of the linebackers. He should know their tendencies quite well. Not only that, the Panthers linebackers have been some of the most successful in the National Football League during his time at the position. We have seen stretches of dominance at the position this season. As a unit, it has just not come together yet week after week.

I think what we saw on Sunday is a defense still trying to find itself. That is not a comforting statement given the fact that Eagles quarterback Carson Wentz had a field day against the defense through the first three quarters of the game. He finished the game going 20-37  310 yards and two touchdowns. He basically did whatever he wanted out there until the final quarter of the game when the Panthers began to step up and make plays.

It’ll be interesting to see if what Washington learned in the second half will carry over to next Sunday’s game. There is no doubt that this defense is talented. They just have to figure out how to fill in the holes that they currently have. Of course, that is easier said than done. However, they need to put together a solid game plan for the rest of the season as the games are not going to get any easier from here on out.