For the Carolina Panthers and head coach Dave Canales, the margin for error in Week 11 remains thin.
A road trip to the Atlanta Falcons for a divisional matchup that always carries a little extra weight now comes with added stress: Carolina's bitter rivals have quietly assembled one of the deepest, most varied front sevens in the NFC South.
General manager Terry Fontenot has drafted aggressively, invested heavily, and poured resources into creating wave after wave of pass-rushers who can compromise protection from multiple angles. In a game where keeping Bryce Young clean is mandatory, the spotlight naturally shifts to one player — left tackle Ikem Ekwonu.
A former first-rounder in 2022, Ekwonu entered the league out of North Carolina State with the profile of a franchise cornerstone: violent hands, explosive lower-half power, and the grip strength to torque defenders away from their gap. But his first few seasons were uneven.
Carolina Panthers need Ikem Ekwonu at his dominant best in Week 11
Technique lapses, inconsistent footwork, and Carolina’s shifting offensive structure forced him into situations that didn’t always allow him to play to his strengths. The talent never disappeared — it simply needed time and stability.
Now in his fourth season, the payoff is starting to show. Through Week 10, Ekwonu has allowed just three sacks on 306 pass-protection snaps, with only 25 pressures surrendered. The numbers point to a left tackle who’s refining the rough edges and stacking consistent reps. Even though his 2025 debut in Week 2 against the Arizona Cardinals was bumpy — eight pressures allowed as he knocked rust off — he has settled into a groove that has stabilized Carolina’s offensive structure.
That stability must continue in Week 11.
In Atlanta, they've spent years building up an edge talent pool. First-round rookies James Pearce Jr. and Jalon Walker headline a group that’s long, explosive, and built to win one-on-one. Add in players like Zach Harrison, Arnold Ebiketie, and Rook Orhorhoro, and the Falcons can send fresh, aggressive bodies at the left edge of the Panthers’ line for four straight quarters.
For Ekwonu, his importance goes beyond keeping Young upright.
The Panthers have leaned heavily on outside zone elements this year, especially with Rico Dowdle as the lead running back. In those concepts, they require the left tackle to seal the edge, widen the front, and create horizontal displacement so backs can press, read, and cut. When Ekwonu wins early with pad level and angles, Carolina’s run game breathes. When he doesn’t, the entire structure narrows.
It's a rare occurrence, but Week 11 is a matchup where a single offensive lineman can flip the complexion of a ballgame. If Ekwonu can anchor against power, recover against speed, and maintain the composure he’s shown throughout this season, Carolina’s offense gains access to every layer of its playbook.
And against a Falcons defense built around disrupting rhythm, that access may be the difference between staying afloat in a hostile divisional environment and getting above .500, or watching the walls collapse from the opening snap.