4 fatal flaws behind Carolina Panthers capitulation at the Lions in Week 5

Carolina Panthers overpowered defense

It is hard to fault Ejiro Evero's defense this season when the Carolina Panthers offense has had so many mistakes in every game. The constant weight on the shoulders of the defenders finally made them collapse against the Detroit Lions and their high-octane system led by quarterback Jared Goff in Week 5.

Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson is one of the brightest young minds in the NFL. He cooked up a great game plan versus the team that had interest in bringing him in for a head coaching interview before he turned them down.

Misdirection and play action have been two weaknesses of the Panthers' aggressive 3-4 defensive scheme. The Lions used both of them to perfection and made things extremely difficult throughout.

Injuries to three starters in the secondary and no Shaq Thompson is hard to overcome. But Jeremy Chinn only had a 30 percent defensive snap rate on Sunday, which is bizarre.

Considering the context of this season, it is likely teams will be calling the Panthers about a potential trade for Chinn given his lack of involvement.

Brian Burns, Frankie Luvu, and Derrick Brown have all been as advertised on Carolina's defensive front seven. However, the Panthers' defense as a unit is flawed despite doing their best to hold the fort in every game this season.

That's without mentioning the Lions' rushing attack, who chewed yards and the clock all contest.