Carolina changed the play caller. Now it needs different results. After allowing 129 combined points in losses to Chicago, Tampa Bay and Green Bay, the Panthers turn to Todd Wash with Denver coming next. But short fields and an injured secondary mean the coordinator wasn’t the only problem.
The Panthers fired defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero and defensive passing game coordinator Jonathan Cooley on Friday after Thursday’s 27–19 loss to Green Bay. Defensive line coach Todd Wash takes over as interim coordinator and defensive play caller.
Carolina is 3–4. The regular bye has already passed, and Denver comes to Charlotte November 8. Wash gets extra preparation time after Thursday night, but the assignment arrives quickly.
The losses put the defense under pressure
In three of Carolina’s four losses—Chicago, Tampa Bay and Green Bay—the Panthers allowed 129 points combined, an average of 43 per game. Those are team points allowed, rather than a clean measure of defensive responsibility.
Chicago rushed for 291 yards in its 59–37 win. Tampa Bay followed with 258 rushing yards in a 43–13 victory. Against Green Bay, Carolina held the Packers to 66 yards on the ground, but Jordan Love threw for 288 yards and three touchdowns.
The problem shifted. Green Bay converted 9 of 16 third downs, or 56.3%, keeping drives alive even after Carolina created favorable situations on first and second down.
Field position belongs in the conversation
A defense does not control every circumstance it inherits. Offensive turnovers, short fields and limited time between possessions can distort the scoreboard. Against Green Bay, a Bryce Young interception set up a short-field touchdown drive.
Carolina also forced two defensive turnovers and made a late stop that gave its offense an opportunity to tie. The secondary has been hit hard by injuries. Those details deserve space alongside the poor results.
That context does not erase the breakdowns. It explains why the score alone cannot tell us how much responsibility belongs to the coordinator.
The longer pattern matters
Across Evero’s tenure since 2023, Carolina ranked last in rushing yards allowed per game at 141.7 and last in opponent third-down conversion rate at 45.3%, according to CBS Sports’ October 30 review.
Those are tenure-wide rankings. Carolina entered Thursday ranked last against the run, but that pregame ranking should not be presented as an updated ranking after holding Green Bay to 66 rushing yards.
Denver is the first test
Wash inherits the personnel and injury problems along with the play sheet. The November 8 home matchup against Denver offers the first opportunity to see whether the change produces better execution, more third-down stops and fewer extended drives.
The regular bye was Week 5. This is a short reset following Thursday’s game, with ten days between matchups.
The Edge takeaway
A coaching change can move expectations before it changes performance. We want evidence of improvement before paying a premium for the narrative. Watch the personnel available, third-down execution and the price the market attaches to the new play caller.
New coordinator. Same need to get off the field.
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Sources
NFL.com: coaching changes · Panthers.com: defensive performance and injury context · Panthers.com: results and schedule · CBS Sports: tenure-wide defensive rankings
