Carolina Panthers weekly awards: Week 2 vs. the Saints

Phil Snow – Carolina Panthers DC

This normally goes to a player, but the time has come for Phil Snow to get his flowers.

The Carolina Panthers defensive coordinator seems to be relishing the talent at his disposal this season. Something that’s come about from solid draft picks and shrewd free-agent pickups to find the right blend of youth and experience.

Last year was a baptism of fire for Snow, who was working with one hand behind his back due to a lack of real depth or quality outside of a few standouts. That is not the case this time around and it’s allowing the defensive guru to devise game plans that throw opposing quarterbacks into disarray.

Jameis Winston was lauded for his five-touchdown performance against the Green Bay Packers in Week 1. However, Snow put the right sort of scheme together to ensure that the signal-caller reverted to type and provided the Panthers with turnover opportunities they took full advantage of.

Everyone is pulling in the same direction on defense. They’ve completely bought into Snow’s ethos and after a 2020 season that saw gradual progression, this unit has burst onto the scene over the last fortnight.

Keeping this up for an entire campaign is the next big challenge. But the Panthers are young, dynamic, and ruthless in equal measure. Led by a man who could get some head coaching interest next year if things continue.