5 most disappointing Carolina Panthers vs. Washington in Week 11
By Dean Jones
Derrick Brown – Carolina Panthers DT
There are times when Derrick Brown looks like a potential All-Pro. A player that the Carolina Panthers thought he would be when they selected the Auburn product No. 7 overall in the 2021 NFL Draft.
On other occasions, not so much.
Brown has all the physical tools needed to be a dominant defensive tackle. It’s putting together a consistent run of games that’s the problem.
The lineman came up against a stout Washington interior protection and found life extremely difficult on Sunday. Brown was not alone in this regard by any stretch of the imagination, but these are the sort of fixtures where a top-end draft pick should be imposing himself.
There appears little doubt that Brown is going to be – perhaps already is – very good. He’s certainly flashed true greatness since joining the Panthers.
However, there are times this season where he’s gone missing. Especially against teams with strong guard tandems.
This is all part of the learning curve for Brown. Sunday was another harsh lesson in what can happen if early momentum is generated one way or another.
Brown and the entire defense weren’t at the races. But it’s easy to give the majority of them a pass as they’ve been superb consistently in 2021.