There was a lot of good to come out of Week 6 for the Carolina Panthers, including a nailbiter win that no one truly saw coming. However, there was one glaring problem that needs to be addressed moving forward.
Mike Jackson Sr. is a problem.
This is not to say that the rest of the secondary was perfect, as even Jaycee Horn did not grade out particularly well in this outing. Yet Jackson's dismal performance stands head and shoulders above the rest.
It is not an overreaction to say that there would have been no chance of the Panthers keeping this game close if the Dallas Cowboys had been at full strength offensively. This would have meant that Jackson would have either been placed against George Pickens or CeeDee Lamb — neither of which would have ended particularly well.
Carolina Panthers must adjust to avoid more secondary issues
Pickens managed almost 120 receiving yards and a touchdown against Jackson alone in an infuriating sequence that proved the No. 2 corner could not compete against him. It seemed that any time the Cowboys needed some yardage, all they had to do was go to that matchup — just like the Miami Dolphins did the previous week.
This has become a concerning trend that borders on infuriating, especially when you consider the Panthers have one of the NFL's best young corners in Horn. But Ejiro Evero refuses to allow the talented defender to shadow the opposition's best receiver.
Nothing against the rest of the Cowboys receiving core, but do the Panthers really need to match Horn against Ryan Flournoy?
At what point does the scheme become Carolina's nail in the coffin?
The NFL is taking note of this as the Panthers begin to verge on being competitive. This league is all about looking for any slight advantage that you can exploit, and right now, it is the unwillingness of Carolina's coaching staff to tweak the system when it means putting them in the best position to win.
If the Panthers want to make a run at a wild-card spot this season, they have to take a step back and seriously consider their options at corner and how best to utilize them. Jackson is a solid player, but there is a reason he was available to the team, and he is not their top guy in the secondary.
At some point, you have to get out of your own way as a team, and the Panthers need to learn that lesson before it is too late.