Insider Discloses More Behind Panthers' Firing of Defensive Coordinator Evero: Run Defense and Third-Down Struggles Predated the Injuries
New details emerged on November 1 about the Carolina Panthers' defensive coaching change in Charlotte, Mecklenburg County, North Carolina: league insider James Palmer disclosed that the team fired defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero not only because of injuries, but because the defensive system itself had long-standing problems. The Panthers announced Evero's firing on October 30 after a 27-19 loss to the Green Bay Packers.
Carolina has been battered by injuries this season: outside linebacker Nick Scourton tore his ACL on the first day of training camp, Jalen Phillips has missed the last two games with a hamstring injury, and cornerbacks Jaycee Horn and Mike Jackson have been out since Week 3. But according to Palmer, team leadership believed the defense's problems went well beyond injuries.
Run defense was the biggest weakness: the Tampa Bay Buccaneers ran for nearly 260 yards and three touchdowns against Carolina last week in a 43-13 game, and since Evero took over in 2023, opponents have rushed for more than 200 yards in about 20 percent of the Panthers' games, while the third-down defense has consistently struggled to get off the field.
(Source: Panthers Wire)
Source: Panthers Wire
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Photo: 图：夏洛特美国银行体育场。Quintin Soloviev 摄，CC BY 4.0，经 Wikimedia Commons。 / Photo: Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte. By Quintin Soloviev, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
