Stopping Bijan Robinson will be the key objective for the Carolina Panthers during their Week 2 trip to the Atlanta Falcons. After giving up 291 rushing yards against the Chicago Bears in Week 1, fans expect massive improvement.
Robinson led the NFL in scrimmage yards last year. He is arguably the league's best dual-threat running back, capable of turning any game on its head when he's in the mood.
Atlanta might have questions at quarterback, but they won't be out of the fight on home turf with the Texas product leading the charge.
Carolina Panthers must pull together to counteract Bijan Robinson's threat
This is not a new problem for the Panthers.
Their run defense has often struggled under defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero's guidance. But with the improved personnel general manager Dan Morgan secured this offseason, the same flaws can't continue much longer.
No one player can stop Robinson. It must be a collective effort, and allowing 59 points in Carolina's season opener should give everyone extra motivation to wipe this bitter taste out of their mouths.
Robinson can break off big runs on the outside. He's powerful enough with the contact balance needed to go in between the tackles, exploiting the smallest seams for lofty gains. His route running and after-the-catch prowess out of the backfield are also exceptional, so the task awaiting Carolina is steep.
And after last weekend, they have to step up.
Evero's 3-4 base scheme has come under fire once again this week. That's understandable, and a large section of fans are ready for some fresh ideas. But head coach Dave Canales believes it can work.
Dave Canales is demaning defensive improvements, and Ejiro Evero must deliver
He also believes an all-hands-on-deck approach can restrict Robinson's influence as the Panthers look to secure their first victory of the campaign.
"(The scheme) does put pressure on the front and the safeties show up from depth to fit into their gaps. But the front play, the front seven, we got to be really connected on that front seven to make sure that a lot of the runs are getting bottlenecked into alleys and that our guys can show up. We ask our corners to play physically on the edges. Those are things that I really appreciate about the scheme."
Everyone has to execute. Everyone has to meet or exceed expectations. There cannot be any weak links whatsoever.
Because someone with Robinson's elite-level gifts will exploit them.
Fortunately for the Panthers, history is working in their favor.
They've had a lot of success over Atlanta in recent years. Quarterback Bryce Young has a 4-1 record against their NFC South rivals, but Robinson has also succeeded against Carolina since becoming the No. 8 overall selection in the 2023 NFL Draft.
On 96 carries, Robinson has 508 rushing yards and six touchdowns against the Panthers in six games. He's brought in 21 catches for 121 receiving yards and a score through the air. It's a significant threat that must be taken seriously, and it should form the focal point of Evero's strategy.
Anything less is coaching malpractice.
Taking the game out of Robinson's hands and putting it into Cooper Rush's — who is likely to start with Michael Penix Jr. and Tua Tagovailoa still working their way back from injury — is imperative.
If the Panthers can do that, and the offense can pick up where it left off last weekend, Carolina will continue its recent success over a fierce division adversary.
Anything less, and Evero's position will get extremely uncomfortable.
High stakes, indeed.
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