Geno Smith once said, “They wrote me off, but I didn’t write back”. That’s likely how every Carolina Panthers player and coach on the defensive side of the ball felt after shutting out the Atlanta Falcons in Week 3.
One of the players who probably screamed this the loudest was Tre’von Moehrig.
Last week, I was vocal in my critique of Moehrig's performance during his first two weeks. So after his stellar performance, I have to be just as loud with praise.
Carolina Panthers' scheme shift helped Tre'von Moehrig thrive
Moehrig was the standout player, being used in a role that Carolina's defensive coordinator, Ejiro Evero, has not employed so far. Since he was hired in 2023, the Panthers have been a primary conservative, off-zone, and Cover 3 defense. All that changed when they faced Atlanta.
The Panthers ran more press and variations of zones than I have seen in four years. Carolina ran Cover 0, 1, and 2 on 30 percent of their snaps, leaning into the strength of their secondary.
Evero's unit held Falcons quarterback Michael Penix to 172 yards passing and intercepted him twice. Most impressively, they achieved this without significant pressure from their front seven, registering a 23.7% pressure rate — the lowest percentage Atlanta allowed this season.
Penix had a -25 EPA and -.66 EPA per drop back, all the worst marks of the season so far. The signal-caller was poor without being sacked. That's a testament to how well this secondary performed in Evero's new scheme.
Nobody benefitted more in their new role than Moehrig. The former TCU standout was essentially a quasi linebacker. Playing primarily as a coverage backer and blitzing safety, the $51 million free-agent signing had the best performance of his brief stint in Charlotte so far.
Moehrig posted a season-high 68.0 grade from Pro Football Focus, and the tape backed it up. He was flying around as a blitzer, leveling Penix multiple times, recording two pressures on four rushes. He was also just as effective against the run, with four of his six tackles being stops.
He still allowed three receptions on as many targets. But with Moehrig moving much closer to the line of scrimmage, he was mostly guarding running backs on check-downs, limiting how much he could be exploited downfield.
Moving Moehrig to this role and playing more press allowed the Panthers to play Latham Ransom frequently. With the rookie safety deep and the veteran acquisition in the box, Penix was 8-for-17 with 100 yards passing and two interceptions. It could be beneficial for Carolina to adopt this form of defense long-term, especially against quarterbacks they believe are vulnerable to the blitz.