Tre’von Moehrig wasn’t on the Carolina Panthers' defense last season. He doesn’t carry the baggage of past struggles, nor does he measure growth against old failures.
Instead, the newly acquired safety brings a fresh perspective, and over the past two weeks, he’s begun to see signs of a unit finding its rhythm.
Tre'von Moehrig seeing growth from Carolina Panthers' defense despite lowly record
After the Panthers' loss to the Arizona Cardinals in Week 2, Moehrig pointed to the way the defense held up against the run. Carolina allowed just 82 rushing yards, one of its better performances in the last year, and the safety credited attention to detail for that success.
"I think just the attention to detail. Everybody just trying to be on the same page and everybody just flying around trying to, you know, tackle, make the play, and, you know, set edges and all that you know just came into play and we did a good job in the second half."Tre'von Moehrig via Panthers.com
Sure, the box score showed Arizona scoring 27 points, but Moehrig saw something different. After the Cardinals extended their lead to 27-3 early in the third quarter, the Panthers' defense steadied itself to give them a fighting chance of mounting a stunning comeback.
It wasn't enough, but this was a big step in the right direction.
"I think it just goes back to everybody just wanting to be on the same page and everybody doing it for each other, everybody having each other’s back. And then just going out there and playing our brand of football that we know that we see in practice, that we go out there and do with our guys every day, so that was kind of mentality, going into the rest of the half."Tre'von Moehrig via Panthers.com
That response helped Carolina claw back into the game. Though the fightback fell short, ending with a last-minute drive that stalled, the second-half performance hinted at the resilience this defense has been working to build all offseason.
Moehrig has been at the center of it all. He currently leads the team with 20 tackles through two games. Fifteen of those came within 10 yards of the line of scrimmage, and one was behind it.
That impact is helping the Panthers form an identity on defense. And for Moehrig, it all comes down to starting fast and staying unified.
"I would just say everybody being on the same page at the very beginning of the game, just going out there, making sure our communication is right, making sure all the fits are right, technique is right. There’s really no magic sauce; it’s just everybody being on the same page and making sure it’s right from the start of the game."Tre'von Moehrig via Panthers.com
Let's hope his words carry some weight in the locker room, because the Panthers cannot afford to fall to a third consecutive loss. That would be nothing short of disastrous for their outlook later in the campaign.