Panthers’ forgotten weakness glaringly reappears in defining moment

One of the biggest positives behind the Carolina Panthers' resurgence over the last five games was their run defense. Ejiro Evero's unit conceded more than 3,000 yards on the ground in 2024, but the enhancements made this offseason have made a substantial difference at the best possible time.

Unfortunately, this forgotten weakness resurfaced in Carolina's defining moment.

The Panthers were brimming with confidence heading into their Week 8 contest against the Buffalo Bills. They'd won their last three games, and the AFC East club lost two straight before their bye week. It wasn't going to be easy, especially without quarterback Bryce Young, but Dave Canales' squad wasn't without a chance if every phase came to play.

That meant the run defense had to find a way to contain prolific running back James Cook III. It didn't take long to figure out that wasn't going to be the case.

Carolina Panthers' run defense reverted to type against the Bills

Cook was getting joy almost every time he touched the football. Carolina's gap discipline on the edge was lackluster, and far too many defenders were overwhelmed by their blockers — both in the trenches and at the defensive second level.

The former Georgia standout has the talent to exploit even the slightest weakness. And when space opened up during the second quarter, Cook demonstrated his breakaway speed to take it 64 yards to the house.

It was the tale of the tape. Cook amassed 153 rushing yards and one touchdown from 12 carries during the first half. Carolina's offense was struggling to get things going with veteran backup Andy Dalton under center. They found some success on the ground, but the need to include Chuba Hubbard when Rico Dowdle was looking more explosive became a problem.

This trend continued throughout the second half. Cook was relentless, and the Panthers could not make the required adjustments. His 216 rushing yards were a season high, and it could have been much more had Buffalo not shown mercy and taken him out in the third quarter.

Hopefully, this will be nothing more than a blip. There is enough evidence to suggest that the Panthers are better at defending on the ground. This might have been a stormy afternoon at the office, but Evero will be striving to ensure it doesn't become the start of an ongoing trend.

Fans will find out for sure when the Panthers make their trip to take on the Green Bay Packers in Week 9, and they cannot allow Josh Jacobs to run riot in the same way Cook managed to accomplish with alarming frequency.