4 promising signs from the Panthers’ win at Washington
By Dean Jones
Defensive line play
The Carolina Panthers have improved dramatically on the defensive side of the ball as the season’s gone on. A large reason for this has been some outstanding displays from the defensive line, who turned on the style once again at Washington to pile even more pressure on their struggling quarterback Dwayne Haskins.
The former first-round pick was mercifully benched in favor of former Panther Taylor Heinicke, who performed extremely well to an extent that the result may have looked far different had the backup assumed command of the role from the outset.
Considering Brian Burns was clearly not at 100 percent, the defensive front still managed to cause some serious complications in the opposing backfield. Carolina restricted Washington to 108 yards on the ground and came up with three sacks which was another standout feature of their success.
The likes of Derrick Brown, Efe Obada, and Marquis Haynes all performed well, with Yetur Gross-Matos also getting some prominent reps to boost his development.
This is a solid group that seems to be developing together in an impressive fashion. If the Panthers can acquire one or two more prospects in the NFL Draft, and the sky is the limit for this unit if they make some more strides during the offseason.