It has been a wild ride for the Carolina Panthers coaching staff since the departure of former head coach Matt Rhule back in early October. And Al Holcomb, who took over duties at defensive coordinator for Phil Snow, has certainly been a part of it.
Holcomb has had mixed results as the leader of the defense, including a not-so-inspiring performance against the Cincinnati Bengals in Week 9. But since that game, there has been a noticeable and refreshing change in how the defense operates— particularly with halftime adjustments.
Over the next three outings from their whopping courtesy of running back Joe Mixon and the reigning AFC champions, the Panthers have not given up more than 15 points in a game. That, of course, is a marked difference from just earlier this season—even including when Holcomb was getting started at the position.
The occasional soft mentality and inevitable collapses from the unit now seem all but gone, as well as the stubborn mindset and lack of changes that led to them. Quite simply, the “hit your head on a wall over and over until it works” style of thinking has gone with the old regime.
Holcomb has helped breathe new life into this talented defense. You can see it not only in their snap counts, but as well as in movement and personnel shifts during the game.
This new perspective under interim head coach Steve Wilks is certainly an exciting approach—and one we’ll hopefully continue to see in closing out this crazy campaign.
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