Carolina Panthers insider details defensive improvement that can be difficult to see

There's no question Carolina still has a lot of work to do on defense, but compared to last season this unit is much better.

Sep 14, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Arizona Cardinals defensive tackle Calais Campbell (93) shakes hands with Carolina Panthers defensive end Derrick Brown (95) after the win against the Carolina Panthers at State Farm Stadium. | Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images

Context is everything in football. For fans of the Carolina Panthers, it can be tempting to give in to doomerism after the team's fourth-straight 0-2 start to the season. However, when you take closer look at the numbers, there are some legitimate reasons for optimism.

On offense, pretty much all of it is centered around rookie wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan, whose NFL career is off to a brilliant start. On the other side of the ball it's a little more difficult to see individual stars shining. However, the overall picture is definitively brighter than it was in 2024, when they allowed more points and more yards than any team in league history.

This unit is unquestionably still below-average, but there's also been significant improvement over last year. Here's team writer Darin Gantt detailing the changes.

Panthers' defensive improvement

"The Panthers rank 22nd in the league in yards allowed and 23rd in points allowed, and those are 10- and nine-spot improvements from last season. And while they're far from a finished product, they've shown signs of the improvement they needed on that side of the ball... They're also up to 13th in the league in third-down conversions allowed (38.1 percent) after they were last in the league in that category last year as well (50.2 percent)."

CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - SEPTEMBER 15: Defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero of the Carolina Panthers looks on during the second half of the game against the Los Angeles Chargers at Bank of America Stadium on September 15, 2024 in Charlotte, North Carolina. | (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

Of course it's still pretty early in the season and these numbers can change dramatically with one big game from Bijan Robinson and the rest of the Atlanta Falcons' offense later today.

The raw numbers themselves also don't give the full picture. Carolina's defense has often been put in bad position by the offense this season via turnovers. Bryce Young has thrown three interceptions and lost two fumbles, resulting in some very short fields to defend.

Despite routinely being put on the ropes, Ejiro Evero's defense has responded well.

If the offense doesn't turn things around real quick, there's going to be a strong case to let head coach Dave Canales go and go back to the drawing board. If that happens, the Panthers should consider letting Evero finish out the season as head coach and see if he can do any better.