5 harsh realities facing Carolina Panthers ahead of Week 3 vs. Saints

Carolina Panthers’ defense can’t do it alone

While it’s been mostly negative regarding the Carolina Panthers this week, one positive was the defense showing glimpses of promise. They held the New York Giants to just 265 yards of total offense, sacking Daniel Jones three times and most importantly restricting them to 1-of-3 regarding red-zone chances.

We saw flashes from many players on the Panthers’ defense. The likes of Frankie Luvu and Derrick Brown graded highly according to Pro Football Focus. The Washington State product was particularly impressive, racking up 10 solo tackles and four tackles for loss.

Another impressive contributor was defensive end Brian Burns, who had four tackles to go along with two sacks. While the Panthers still look to find some edge presence opposite the former first-round selection, it was good to see him get home for two sacks.

This is something that the Panthers need from start to finish. Letting Haason Reddick leave in free agency was a major gamble that piled further pressure on Burns, so it’ll be up to others to step up their respective contributions and make the front seven more balanced.

The Panthers must build on this performance against the New Orleans Saints in a must-win game at home. Carolina’s defense dominated Jameis Winston and company in 2021, holding them to just 128 total yards, sacking the quarterback four times, and picking him off twice.

Dominating Winston again will go a long way to helping Carolina secure a vital win.