Where the Carolina Panthers need to improve most to make NFL playoffs

The Carolina Panthers find themselves tied with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers atop the NFC South division after Week 14 with both teams holding a record of 7-6 after the Buccaneers lost to the New Orleans Saints, 24-20.

Carolina had their bye week, allowing the Panthers to self-scout as they prepare to push for the NFL playoffs over the final four weeks of the season, starting with a trip to the Saints in Week 15. While much as been made of the inconsistencies of the Carolina offense under head coach Dave Canales and quarterback Bryce Young, where can the defense improve over the final four weeks?

The Panthers have improved defensively in several areas, including scoring defense at 22.8 points per game in 2025 (15th in the NFL), compared to the 31.4 PPG in 2024 (last in the league). Carolina has also forced more turnovers (1.3 per game, 10th in 2025 vs. 1.0 per game in 2024, tied for 19th), and given up less drastically less rushing yards per contest in 2025 (118.7 YPG, 18th in the NFL vs 179.8 YPG in 2024, last in the league.)

But the area of struggle this season, and since defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero arrived in 2023, is lack of sacks and quarterback pressure.

According to Pro Football Reference, Carolina is tied for 30th in the NFL with only 18 sacks on the season, six of which came in the 13-6 win at the New York Jets in Week 7. The Panthers finished tied for 29th in 2024 with 32 sacks, and last in the NFL in 2023 with 27 sacks as a team, with that 2023 team featuring Brian Burns, Derrick Brown, and Frankie Luvu.

Key pass rush stats (year-to-date and last four games):

Dallas is still struggling to take down opposing quarterbacks, but their pressure rate continues to get more consistent pic.twitter.com/jmFHfBcHCM
— Sam Hoppen (@SamHoppen) December 3, 2025

The Panthers rank 29th in the NFL in sack percentage at 4.32% as a team, down from their 2024 number of 5.7% (tied-28th), and below their 2023 rate of 5.3% (31st).

Not only have the Panthers struggled to generate sacks, but pressure on opposing quarterbacks. Carolina currently ranks 31st in the NFL in pressure rate at 14.7%, a percentage that has declined over the last three years. The Panthers ranked last in the NFL in 2024 at 16.2%, and 30th in the league in 2023 at 17.2%.

Brown leads the Panthers in sacks this season with 4.0, while rookie second-round pick Nic Scourton is second on the team with 3.0. Third-round pick Princely Umanmielan has just 1.5 sacks this season. Starting edge/OLB DJ Wonnum has zero sacks on the season.

Brown’s strip sack of Los Angeles Rams QB Matthew Stafford in the 4th quarter of the Panthers’ 31-28 Week 12 win is the first and only strip sack for the Panthers this season.

Derrick Brown makes a play and the Panthers take it away from Stafford!

LARvsCAR on FOX/FOX Onehttps://t.co/HkKw7uXVnt pic.twitter.com/oHilV4iwZA
— NFL (@NFL) November 30, 2025

In Week 14 of 2024, Wonnum forced a fumble on a sack of Philadelphia Eagles QB Jalen Hurts. Week 2 of the same year, Jayden Peevy and DJ Johnson combined for a strip sack of Los Angeles Chargers QB Justin Herbert.

In 2023, Brian Burns had a strip sack of Atlanta Falcons QB Desmond Ridder on the third defensive play of the season. Those are the four times the Panthers have had a sack & forced fumble on the same play over the last three season. Just four.

This is an area that the Panthers not only need to address for the final four weeks of the season, but also going into next season.

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