The Panthers are switching back to a 4-3 defense under new coach Matt Rhule, according to a report by the Athletic.
Carolina ran a 4-3 for most of Ron Rivera’s time leading the team. Last year, he changed things up by running a 3-4 scheme. It didn’t go well. While the Panthers’ pass rush improved (they ranked second in sacks) their atrocious run defense was arguably the single greatest factor in their disappointing 5-11 record and Rivera’s firing in December.
On film, it appeared now-retired inside linebacker Luke Kuechly was less comfortable in the scheme. While he did an admirable job as always, Kuechly frequently found himself out of position to make plays he normally does. That had a tremendous trickle-down effect on the rest of the defense.
The loss of star defensive tackle Kawann Short also played a huge role in the 3-4’s failture. He only played the first two games of the season and then was put on injured reserve due to a shoulder problem.
The Panthers also just didn’t have enough size up front in general to effectively stop the run. In the end, they allowed 31 rushing touchdowns and ranked last in run defense DVOA.
New defensive coordinator Phil Snow has previously said that his scheme will be multiple, so don’t expect to see a four-man alignment all the time.
Personnel wise, this decision helps explain why the team declined the 2020 option for Dontari Poe, who functions best as a 3-4 nose tackle. Saving $9.8 million in cap space is another good one.
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