After a 15-1 regular season and a Super Bowl appearance in 2015, expectations were high for the 2016 Carolina Panthers. Despite losing key pieces of a highly skilled secondary, the Panthers seemed poised for another strong season. Instead, Carolina limped into the bye week with a 1-5 record.
Coupled with Cam Newton missing a game due to a concussion, the secondary gave up a whopping 1,143 passing yards in the three games prior to the bye week. It was evident that the presence of Josh Norman, Roman Harper, and Charles “Peanut” Tillman was sorely missed. Matt Ryan and Julio Jones put on a clinic, reaching 503 and 300 yards respectively as the Falcons beat the Panthers 48-33. It was crystal clear that changes needed to be made and they needed to be made fast.
Searching for a solution, the Panthers cut Bene Benwikere and activated Zack Sanchez from the practice squad. The adjustments were very similar to the changes made two years prior to snap a six-game skid. The Panthers’ search also led them to sign veteran cornerback Leonard Johnson who missed the 2015 season on the non-football injury list.
Sunday saw the Panthers get back in the win column against the Arizona Cardinals and everyone watching could tell the X-factor was the secondary unit. In his first game action as a Panther, Johnson recorded 8 tackles and a sack. Rookie, Daryl Worley had 11 combined tackles, a sack, a quarterback hurry, and he prevented a touchdown with a pass breakup in the end zone.
While there is no doubt that every position plays an integral role in team efficiency, it is hard to argue that there is a unit more heavily scrutinized and with less margin for error than the secondary. Out on a proverbial island, the mistakes and missteps made in the defensive backfield are more quickly noticed and result in the largest gains. The more seasoned the secondary, the more solid the defense in most cases. With the departure of Benwikere, the Panthers have no cornerbacks that have played a full season with the team.
When asked how he feels he has adjusted coming in as a rookie with such big shoes to fill, Daryl Worley states, “I think we’re handling it well. It’s a week to week thing.” Worley also states that the improved play is a result of growing confidence and trust in one another as teammates. Confidence is key in a position where you must have a short memory in order to focus on the next play. The emerging confidence of the youngest unit on the Panthers will determine the remainder of the season.
Fans will remember that a retooling of the secondary helped the Panthers salvage their season after a 6-game skid to win the NFC South title two years ago. It appears that reshuffling the personnel may be the key to the Panthers turn around as they appeared to be the Panthers of old on Sunday. Defense made big plays and kept the offense in great position to score with favorable field position.
The Panthers will travel to Los Angeles to face the Rams this Sunday. The secondary faces a unit that averages a little over 220 passing yards per game. It will be interesting to see if the renewed energy and adrenaline will be present after getting back into the win column.