5 Carolina Panthers on the hot seat entering Week 6 vs. the Falcons
By Dean Jones
Ejiro Evero - Carolina Panthers DC
Ejiro Evero must be wondering why he agreed to remain with the Carolina Panthers. More crippling injuries leave his defense vastly under-strength. That's without counting the several key personnel he lost during the offseason via free agency and the trade market.
Evero did more with less last season - something that brought more head coaching interest his way. This time seems much worse from a personnel standpoint, but the coordinator must find a way to solve these issues with the options available. Otherwise, it could have lingering implications on his hopes of getting a top job somewhere during the 2025 cycle.
Nobody cares that the Panthers are talent-deficient. They just want it fixed by any means necessary. Evero is almost working with one hand tied behind his back, but he needs to galvanize this group in the face of quarterback Kirk Cousins, who's coming off a franchise record 509 passing yards on Thursday Night Football versus the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Cousins and Atlanta's rushing attack will have no trouble carving up the Panthers if Evero doesn't make adjustments. But in all honesty, the players at his disposal make it difficult to say any schematic improvements can reap rewards.
Jadeveon Clowney - Carolina Panthers OLB
There is no help for Jadeveon Clowney on the edge. However, the Panthers aren't getting much from their marquee investment during free agency over the opening five games of the campaign.
Clowney's never been known for his prolific pass-rushing. Ejiro Evero doesn't value that too highly in any case. He's more eager to acquire players who can set the edge against the run, which is where the former South Carolina star has thrived during his career. Unfortunately, that's not been the case so far.
The veteran is finding it difficult to get off blocks consistently. His 68.0 run defense grade from Pro Football Focus isn't terrible, but the Panthers were expecting more. Clowney is held to a higher standard than most given the esteem in which he was once held around the league. It's beyond time he started reminding people of that fact.
Carolina will take things slowly with Clowney this week after he went down with a shoulder problem against the Chicago Bears. Unless the edge threat puts everything together in this one whether he's 100 percent or not, the Atlanta Falcons' rushing attack of Bijan Robinson and Tyler Allgeier will run riot.
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