3 big disappointments from Panthers’ defeat vs. the Browns in Week 1

Carolina Panthers’ defense was unremarkable

The defense as a whole in Week 1 was at best underwhelming. Phil Snow’s unit allowed the Cleveland Browns to run at a very high clip, averaging 5.6 yards-per-carry during a dominant display behind an offensive line that was missing stud right tackle, Jack Conklin.

Not only this, but the Carolina Panthers couldn’t get after the quarterback consistently. This was a disaster as there was no threat to Jacoby Brissett, who was able to sit back and go through his progressions before making the right read.

With the lack of pressure, Carolina’s secondary also found things complicated. When Brissett did throw the ball, he made it count, especially when targeting Donavan Peoples-Jones who came through on some big third-down plays.

Brian Burns was able to get to Brissett a couple of times. But the defensive end couldn’t force him to the ground, which has been a constant source of frustration over the last two seasons.

The Panthers gave up 355 total yards and had no turnovers on the day. This battle is crucial in the NFL with many games decided on this particular metric.

Carolina was unable to get off the field quickly, allowing the Browns to win the time of possession 38:26 to 21:34. This was a bad start for the Panthers’ defense with a very talented roster.

Things need to get fixed quickly or we will see another season spiral out of control.