New-look defense taking shape in training camp

But make no mistake, the Panthers are going to have to play defense differently this year, even though the scheme and the coaching staff on that side of the ball remains the same.

If you wanted to cherry-pick a stat, saying the Panthers were fourth in the league in yards allowed last year might suggest they were good at it. But they were also 29th in the league in points allowed. That was part of the systemic failure of last season — the offensive breakdown kept opponents from needing to drive the length of the field often or needing to throw in the fourth quarter since they always led. The Panthers didn’t hold the lead for a single second of a fourth quarter last year, which also helped depress the pass-rush numbers.

They were also last in the league with just 27 sacks, again partly a function of not having as many pass-rush opportunities late in games.

But if changes were in order, change came quickly. Of that sack total, 24.5 of them are gone, beginning with Brian Burns (8.0) and Frankie Luvu (5.5), but encompassing practically everyone else that touched a quarterback. Only Brown (2.0) and Shy Tuttle (0.5) recorded a sack last season and also returned to this team.

So yes, it’s very different.

When asked this week if he thought this year’s defense would have to play differently, rookie head coach Dave Canales agreed.

“I think we should,” Canales said. “I think offensively, defensively, this isn’t just about Panthers 2024. Everywhere I’ve been, every year is a little bit different. You have different pieces up front, outside, in the skill spots on both sides of the ball.

“And I think that what I’ve learned about our staff on both sides is a commitment and a willingness to find who we are this year, you know, and to continue to look forward and press into the things we do well, with the new group. So I would say, yeah, and to an extent, there will be some things we’ll do differently based on having new people. But there are those core tenets that we believe in that will come to life in one way or another.”