Bryce Young is benched, but the Carolina Panthers' biggest problem remains

Week 2 was a step forward in a lot of ways for the Carolina Panthers, even with another somewhat embarrassing loss on the record, But not everything was sunshine and rainbows.

The Panthers' run defense is still a major thorn in the side for this organization. There doesn't seem to be a clear pathway to fixing it right now.

Three-hundred and ninety-nine. That is the amount of yards the Panthers have conceded on the ground over the first two weeks of the season. That is unacceptable and should be a hefty stain on the pride of any members of this defensive line.

There is something to be said for the loss of Derrick Brown for the season. However, the run defense wasn't much better when he was on the field. Most of the issues with this lie in two places.

The first is the inability of any of the Panthers' players to set the edge on outside rushes. When teams can either push you off the point or simply run right by you, there is not much else to be said. This was something that players like Jadeveon Clowney were supposed to enhance.

Carolina Panthers' run defense has been abysmal so far in 2024

Shaq Thompson can only do so much. If the veteran linebacker happens to be on the other side of the field, you can expect a big gain, or at least enough of one to make later downs more manageable.

A total lack of interior depth is the other. Even before Brown went down to injury, there was a severe lack of size and depth beyond the Pro Bowler. This is evident with how succesful the opposition tends to be when running straight up the middle. It is almost as if opposing rushers have some innate ability to part Carolina's defense and find open lanes into the secondary.

When you lack that star level talent up the middle, as well as any kind of depth, it turns into a matter of time. Opposing teams can simply wait for the few interior linemen that the Panthers have to get tired and then run right over them. It's an incredibly simple yet effective tactic. But this isn't something that can be easily fixed.

Luckily, the Las Vegas Raiders are the perfect team to try and get things right against. Their rushing attack has been less than successful to start the season as well, racking up just 98 yards over their first two outings. However, the point could also be made that this is the perfect game for them to get right in this discipline.

Either way you look at it, the run defense is the one glaring problem left for this team heading into Week 3. And if the Panthers can somehow find a way to fix it, they will be well on their way to being a below average team instead of the worst in the NFL.

Keeping the Raiders from running the football effectively will put more pressure on Gardner Minshew to win the game through the air. This has never been a specialty of his and will at least keep the chains at longer distances come third down.

This will in turn put the Panthers in better field position and take some of the load off of the struggling offense to drive down the field. Something that just might put this team in a position to steal a win. But that might be wishful thinking.

The rebuild has to start somewhere. With Brown locked up long-term, sorting the defense around him is the best place to start.

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