Panthers leave Buffalo with more questions than answers on defense following their final preseason tuneup

Matt Alquiza | Aug 25, 2024

Aug 17, 2024; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales talks with offensive coach Harold Goodwin during the second half against the New York Jets at Bank of America Stadium. / Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports

There are nothing but good vibes surrounding the Carolina Panthers offense following Saturday's preseason win in Buffalo. The 31 point outburst was kicked off by Bryce Young and the rest of the starting group waltzing down the field and into the Bills' end zone with little resistance. Young and company gave way to Jake Plummer and his rowdy band of backups, who lit up the Bills second and third-stringers for three touchdowns and a field goal in nearly three-and-a-half quarters of work.

The Panthers spent all afternoon turning question marks shrouding their offense into exclamation points, breeding excitement for the unit's first extended action come week one in New Orleans. Unfortunately, the other side of the ball left much to be desired.

Sean McDermott announced early in the week that the Bills would be sitting all of their starters on Saturday. The Panthers starting defense (sans Jadeveon Clowney, Jaycee Horn, and Xavier Woods) lined up against Buffalo's second-unit. Ben DiNucci and his crew proceeded to walk the Panthers first-team defense down the field for a relatively easy scoring drive.

Not great, Bob.

It's preseason, so it must be taken with a grain of salt, but Carolina's inability to slow down an outmatched Buffalo offense full of backups is concerning. DiNucci and company were able to convert four third-down conversions on the drive as Carolina struggled to get stops on money downs. The Bills ended up kicking a field goal, but their quarterback missed a wide open touchdown opportunity when Dicaprio Bootle bit on a double move, leaving Tyrell Shavers uncovered in the end zone.

So how wide open was the Buffalo receiver in the end zone vs. Panthers CB Dicaprio Bootle? Nice photo. https://t.co/rAf3Q42WT0

— David Newton (@DNewtonespn) August 24, 2024

The Panthers' faced a significant talent drain in their front seven following 2023. Brian Burns, Frankie Luvu, and Yetur Gross-Matos, the team's top three sack producers of last season are out the door. In behind them are a cast of unproven options on the edge looking to make an impact. The secondary was missing two of their leaders in Horn and Woods, but Carolina is still in search of their CB2 as a date with budding superstar wide receiver Chris Olave and the Saints looms.

It's impossible to know how vanilla of a defense Ejiro Evero and his staff played on Saturday. Position coaches Pete Hanson and Jonathan Cooley called the defensive plays on Saturday, letting Evero run point in more of a consultant role. The revered defensive coordinator is hailed for his disguised coverages, varied looks, and his defense's ability to confuse offenses from down to down. Once Evero retakes the reins and gets in his bag, all of these worries may come to pass. Head coach Dave Canales waxes poetic about his defensive coordinator every time he gets the chance, and the second-year defensive play caller likely held his cards close to his chest in this one. And, to be fair, it wasn't all bad.

DJ Johnson, the likely starter opposite Jadeveon Clowney in week one, tallied his first sack of the preseason. Trevin Wallce, although slightly inconsistent, continued to impress onlookers as he flew around the second level. The depth pieces across the defensive line continue to make plays.

However, legitimate questions about the Panthers' defensive personnel exist. Dan Morgan will likely flex his number one waiver priority to bring some depth to positions of need across the defense following Tuesday's cut date. If he doesn't, the Carolina defense may be in trouble.

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