2025
2025 season · Weeks 1 to 22 · 8-9
Panthers defense
Every snap the Panthers defended, what it cost them and how they got there: the league ranks the player pages quote, where offenses find room, how this defense plays, and who plays in it.
- How good+0.07 EPA a play allowed, 23rd of 32, and 0.06 above what the offenses they faced usually manage (23rd).
- How they playThey blitz on 28% of dropbacks, the 18th-most in the league, and get pressure on 18%.
- Where offenses find roomOn the ground: 4.4 a carry, 22nd, and runs up the middle gain 5.0 a carry.
- Who hurt themGeorge Pickens (DAL): 168 yards and +16.7 EPA on 11 touches, the most anyone has managed against them.
How good is itthe defense against the league, and game by game
| Stat | Value | Rank | League | Pctl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EPA per playevery snap | +0.07 | 23rd of 32 | 30th | |
| Pass EPAper dropback | +0.12 | 24th of 32 | 27th | |
| Rush EPAper designed run | +0.00 | 27th of 32 | 17th | |
| Success rateplays that gain enough | 44% | 15th of 32 | 55th | |
| Explosive rate20+ pass, 10+ run | 9% | 12th of 32 | 64th | |
| Yards per play | 5.6 | 20th of 32 | 39th | |
| Yards per carry | 4.4 | 22nd of 32 | 33rd | |
| Third downsconverted against them | 48% | 32nd of 32 | 2nd |
| Stat | Value | Rank | League | Pctl |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sack rateper dropback | 5.3% | 27th of 32 | 17th | |
| Pressure rateper dropback, PFR | 18% | 30th of 32 | 8th | |
| QB hit rateper dropback | 9% | 31st of 32 | 5th | |
| INT rateper dropback | 2.7% | 5th of 32 | 86th | |
| Red-zone TD ratetrips ending in a touchdown | 55% | 14th of 32 | 58th | |
| Points per drivetouchdown 7, field goal 3 | 2.16 | 17th of 32 | 47th | |
| Takeawaysper game | 1.2 | 13th of 32 | 58th | |
| EPA against expectationallowed minus the offenses' usual | +0.06 | 23rd of 32 | 30th |
Each bar is the league's 32 defenses; the marker is the Panthers. Right is better for the defense, so a low EPA allowed sits right. The pressure rate is PFR's pressures (hurries, hits and sacks) per dropback. EPA against expectation compares each game with what that offense averaged in its other games, so a strong schedule is not held against them.
They held 6 of 17 offenses below their usual EPA a play. The biggest stop: Week 3 against the Falcons, 0.34 a play under their norm. The offenses they have faced average +0.02 a play elsewhere, the 4th-toughest schedule of offenses.
at JAXL 10-26+0.15usual +0.03
at ARIL 22-27+0.13usual -0.02
vs ATLW 30-0-0.34usual 0.00
at NEL 13-42+0.39usual +0.15
vs MIAW 27-24+0.10usual -0.02
vs DALW 30-27+0.18usual +0.09
at NYJW 13-6-0.26usual -0.12
vs BUFL 9-40+0.34usual +0.13
at GBW 16-13+0.04usual +0.12
vs NOL 7-17+0.16usual -0.10at ATLW 30-27+0.13usual -0.03
at SFL 9-200.00usual +0.10
vs LAW 31-28+0.14usual +0.15at NOL 17-20+0.11usual -0.10
vs TBW 23-20+0.11usual -0.01
vs SEAL 10-27-0.05usual +0.04at TBL 14-16+0.01usual -0.01Where offenses find roomthe field, the run lanes, the positions and the situations
The soft spot is short right: +0.47 EPA a throw against a league +0.10. The lockdown zone is deep middle, -0.69 a throw (league +0.73). Completions against them run 1.5 points over expected, 19th-best in the league.
Every pass they faced with a charted air distance and side, sacks excluded. Green is a zone where they allow less than the league, red more. How often shows the share of throws against them there.
Offenses run for 4.4 yards a carry against them, 22nd of 32. The leak is up the middle: 5.0 a carry and +0.18 EPA (league 3.7, -0.04).
| Position | Targets a game | Yards a game | EPA per target | Fantasy points allowed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wide receivers | 17.211th | 130.313th | +0.2113th-toughest | 16.77th-fewest21.67th-fewest26.66th-fewest |
| Tight ends | 6.711th | 61.025th | +0.5932nd-toughest | 8.612th-most11.213th-most13.714th-most |
| Backs, receiving | 5.412th | 28.813th | +0.0115th-toughest | 19.79th-most21.99th-most24.29th-most |
| Quarterbacks | – | – | – | 13.86th-fewest13.86th-fewest13.86th-fewest |
Who hurt them most
| Player | Team | Touches | Yards | TD | EPA |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| George Pickens | DAL | 11 | 168 | 1 | +16.7 |
| James Cook | BUF | 19 | 216 | 2 | +15.4 |
| Juwan Johnson | NO | 8 | 122 | 1 | +13.0 |
| Drake London | ATL | 17 | 174 | +11.5 | |
| Zach Charbonnet | SEA | 20 | 122 | 2 | +10.9 |
| Chris Olave | NO | 17 | 189 | 2 | +10.7 |
Targets, yards and EPA per target by the receiver's position, ranked 1st for the toughest defense: the same numbers a receiver's This week panel quotes against this defense. Fantasy points allowed follow the scoring switch. Who hurt them ranks every opposing player by EPA on his targets and carries against this defense.
Third downs go the offense's way: even third-and-4-to-6 converts at 48% (league 44%). They are stingiest in 1st down (0.00 a play, league +0.01) and weakest in 3rd down (+0.26, league -0.05).
| Situation | Plays | Allowed | League | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st down | 426 | 0.00 | +0.01 | -0.01 |
| 2nd down | 342 | +0.01 | +0.02 | -0.01 |
| 3rd down | 208 | +0.26 | -0.05 | +0.31 |
| 3rd and 1 to 3 | 49 | 65% | 60% | +5 pts |
| 3rd and 4 to 6 | 64 | 48% | 44% | +5 pts |
| 3rd and 7+ | 95 | 39% | 26% | +13 pts |
| Red zone | 163 | +0.05 | 0.00 | +0.05 |
| Two-minute drill | 99 | +0.07 | +0.03 | +0.04 |
| When they lead | 338 | +0.07 | -0.01 | +0.08 |
| One-score game | 746 | +0.08 | +0.02 | +0.06 |
| When they trail by 9+ | 172 | +0.17 | +0.04 | +0.13 |
EPA a play allowed, or for third downs the share converted (a first down or a touchdown). Green is better than the league for the defense. Score states are from the defense's side.
How they playpressure, the box, what offenses try, discipline
They send extra rushers on 28% of dropbacks and average 4.3 rushers; 74% of dropbacks see four or fewer. They allow +0.29 EPA when they blitz and +0.05 when they do not.
They put 6.5 defenders in the box on runs, eight or more on 4%. Into a light box (six or fewer) runs gain 4.7 a carry; into eight or more, 2.7.
Offenses lean on the run against them: 3 points under their expected pass rate on early downs in a neutral game. Play action gains -0.09 EPA against them on 22% of throws; screens -0.02.
37 defensive penalties for 360 yards, 24 of them first downs, the 4th-fewest. They miss 9% of tackle attempts by PFR's count, 15th-best.
The defenderswho plays, and what each one has done
Derrick Brown leads the pass rush with 15 pressures and 5 sacks on 77% of the snaps.
| Player | Snaps | Pressures | Sacks | QB hits | TFL | Tackles | FF |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 95Derrick BrownDT | 77% | 15 | 5 | 11 | 5 | 72 | 1 |
| 11Nic ScourtonLB | 68% | 15 | 5 | 9 | 7 | 46 | 1 |
| 94A'Shawn RobinsonDT | 62% | 13 | 2.5 | 8 | 3 | 65 | |
| 99Tershawn WhartonDE | 38% | 8 | 2 | 3 | 2 | 35 | |
| 97Bobby Brown IIIDT | 34% | 1 | 0.5 | 1 | 3 | 30 | |
| 3Princely UmanmielenLB | 21% | 5 | 1.5 | 4 | 2 | 24 | 1 |
| 91Patrick Jones IILB | 16% | 6 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 9 | |
| 93LaBryan RayDT | 15% | 13 | |||||
| 52Trevis GipsonLB | 15% | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 12 | |
| 92Cam JacksonDT | 8% | 9 |
Christian Rozeboom plays 78% of the snaps with 119 tackles and 2 sacks.
| Player | Snaps | Tackles | TFL | Sacks | Pressures | Targets | Rating allowed | Missed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 56Christian RozeboomLB | 78% | 119 | 7 | 2 | 4 | 70 | 82.7 | 17 |
| 98D.J. WonnumLB | 64% | 42 | 4 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 56.6 | 1 |
| 32Trevin WallaceLB | 61% | 61 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 47 | 88.4 | 7 |
| 53Claudin CherelusLB | 18% | 32 | 17 | 90.4 | 4 | |||
| 40Krys BarnesLB | 14% | 22 | 1 | 0.5 | 1 | 6 | 96.9 | 2 |
| 57Bam Martin-ScottLB | 5% | 21 | 1 | |||||
| 48Thomas IncoomLB | 2% | 16 |
Corey Thornton is the hardest to complete a pass against: a 68.9 passer rating on 16 targets.
| Player | Snaps | Targets | Catches allowed | Yards | TD | Rating allowed | INT | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21Nick ScottSAF | 98% | 56 | 38 of 56 | 645 | 3 | 98.8 | 1 | 3 |
| 2Mike JacksonCB | 98% | 100 | 56 of 100 | 711 | 4 | 78.1 | 4 | 19 |
| 7Tre'von MoehrigSAF | 93% | 56 | 44 of 56 | 333 | 1 | 83.8 | 1 | 2 |
| 8Jaycee HornCB | 90% | 64 | 31 of 64 | 478 | 6 | 73.5 | 5 | 8 |
| 26Chau Smith-WadeCB | 59% | 47 | 39 of 47 | 381 | 2 | 92.5 | 1 | 2 |
| 22Lathan RansomSAF | 33% | 18 | 10 of 18 | 143 | 1 | 85.6 | 1 | 2 |
| 31Corey ThorntonCB | 12% | 16 | 9 of 16 | 81 | 68.9 | 3 | ||
| 29Akayleb EvansCB | 5% | 4 | 3 of 4 | 28 | 1 | 133.3 | ||
| 36Demani RichardsonSAF | 3% | 1 | 0 of 1 | 39.6 |
Tackles, sacks, QB hits, TFL, interceptions, passes defended and forced fumbles are nflverse's weekly stats; pressures, targets, catches and yards allowed, passer rating allowed and missed tackles are PFR's charting. Snap share is the season average of defensive snaps.