Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales has stood by defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero through some pretty rough stretches, but Sunday's loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was one of the worst.
The Panthers allowed 258 rushing yards against Tampa Bay, marking the 12th time Carolina has surrendered at least 200 yards on the ground under Evero.
Also, the two worst rushing performances of Evero's time have both come this season.
Carolina Panthers deffense took a major step back in Week 7 against the Buccaneers
Carolina allowed 291 yards against the Chicago Bears in Week 1. They surrendered another 258 against the Buccaneers.
Both of these came at home.
It's a frustrating situation because Evero has also shown flashes of being an excellent defensive coordinator. At times, his defense looks capable of shutting down almost anybody. Other weeks, Carolina looks completely lost.
And after nearly three seasons of these inconsistencies, Canales may need to start questioning whether his patience is actually paying off.
Maybe the most frustrating part of Evero's tenure is that the Panthers have already seen what his defense can do when everything comes together.
Just one week before the Tampa Bay disaster, Carolina held the Philadelphia Eagles to 222 total yards and just 35 rushing yards in an impressive defensive performance.
Ejiro Evero is coming under fire, but the Carolina Panthers remain confident
That wasn't exactly a one-off, either.
From Weeks 2 through 6, the Panthers ranked second in scoring defense, fifth in yards allowed per play and 10th against the run. For a team that has struggled defensively in recent years, those numbers suggested Evero was finally figuring things out.
Then came Week 7, as the Buccaneers ran the ball 49 times for 258 yards and three touchdowns.
Sure, injuries played a role. But allowing 258 rushing yards is difficult to excuse regardless of who's available.
And with Carolina trying to establish itself as a legitimate contender in the NFC South, that kind of unpredictability is becoming a serious problem.
Despite another ugly defensive performance, Canales doesn't appear ready to point the finger at his defensive coordinator.
Following Sunday's loss, the Panthers head coach defended Evero's play calling and suggested execution was the bigger issue.
"I liked our calls. We had good run calls to take care of some of that run game, and it just really came down to execution," Canales said.
It's understandable why Canales would want to support his defensive coordinator publicly, especially considering how well the defense played during the previous several weeks.
Evero has also dealt with injuries, roster turnover, and personnel limitations throughout his time in Carolina. But the excuses are wearing thin.
For now, Evero's job doesn't appear to be in immediate danger, at least based on Canales' public comments.
But if these performances continue, Canales may eventually have to decide whether his loyalty to Evero helps the Panthers move forward or holds them back.
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