Following the Carolina Panthers' second consecutive loss, head coach Dave Canales began the mini-bye with major staff changes.
Defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero and passing game coordinator Jonathan Cooley are gone after three and a half years, fired just five days after allowing another 40-plus-point, 250-plus-rushing-yard game.
It was a necessary move despite improvements against the Green Bay Packers. Canales and the Panthers are showing real urgency to correct their mistakes and make significant changes before it gets out of hand, despite injuries hampering both sides of the ball.
Ejiro Evero's exit confronts an identity crisis for the Carolina Panthers' defense
Canales now turns to interim defensive coordinator Todd Wash to rejuvenate a talented yet battered Panthers defense. The exit of Evero is forcing the team to confront a bigger question about the scheme they were deploying defensively and how to address it going forward.
A lot of responsibility comes with a Vic Fangio-like defensive structure, whether it's playing a gap and a half or two-gap up front, needing versatility on the defensive back end, and asking linebackers to do a lot at the second level against both the run and pass.
Thinking back on Evero's time in Carolina, he tended to be stubborn and lacked innovation when it came to trying new things and philosophies to put players in a position to succeed.
He also seemed reluctant to give younger players bigger roles, trusting veterans to handle them, even if they weren't consistent enough.
This year, it has been hard to identify what type of defense the Panthers are. It could be an aggressive, blitzing team that could stop the run, but for whatever reason, it wasn't translating under Evero.
With that, Canales seemed to have had enough and made a consequential call.
Changes are coming soon for the Carolina Panthers' new-look defense
With Wash now the defensive coordinator, fans shouldn't expect a wholesale change to how the defense will operate. They'll likely still be a multiple defense that uses exotic looks to create confusing pictures for the quarterback and opposing offensive coordinators.
Early on, we may see a lot of single-gap attacks that let defensive linemen penetrate upfield with less lane integrity, while edge rushers attack upfield rather than set the edge. It is straight out of the Jim Schwartz system.
The Panthers could also deploy more man coverage, such as Cover 1 and potential two-man high. Look for Zakee Wheatley to have a much bigger role, with maybe Nick Scott moving into a reserve role.
These are just some of the immediate changes that could come from Wash against the Denver Broncos, while everything else will take a few weeks to install. The Panthers could build a new identity on defense as a much more aggressive, attacking unit, as we saw Schwartz do for years with the Cleveland Browns.
The return of key players such as Jaycee Horn, Mike Jackson Sr., Jaelan Phillips, and Will Lee III will almost certainly improve this defense.
But the philosophy, coaching changes, and the creation of a new identity could be the difference for Carolina down the stretch.
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