Tag: Panthers Defensive Line

Panthers DE Brian Burns ranks in top-10 in pass rush win rate

Panthers defensive end Brian Burns ranks in top-10 in pass rush win rate through two games.

It’s been a putrid start to the season for the Panthers defensive line, which lost a ton of firepower this offseason. Through two games, the team has zero sacks, one quarterback hit and has been unable to defend the run again.

The one exception to the rule has been the play of second-year defensive end Brian Burns. While he doesn’t have any sacks yet he’s come close a couple of times and he ranks No. 7 in the NFL in pass rush win rate among edge defenders.

via ESPN

This is a better indicator of how much pressure a defender is getting than sacks, which can vary widely from week to week and season to season. Burns will get his, eventually.

Watch this spin move that almost landed him a hit on Tom Brady.

He’s also stood out against the run.

Burns has four tackles so far, two for a loss.

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Panthers rookie Yetur Gross-Matos credits Brian Burns for showing him the ropes

Panthers rookie Yetur Gross-Matos credits Brian Burns for helping him get acclimated to the NFL.

With the youngest NFL defense to play in a decade, the Carolina Panthers will have no choice but to rely on their rookies during the 2020 season. One of the key new additions to the roster is second-round pick Yetur Gross-Matos, a defensive end from Penn State.

Gross-Matos may have a chance to start on the edge if he’s able to impress Matt Rhule (who shares his alma mater) and the other coaches over the next few weeks at training camp. If he does, he can give some credit to the guy who will be lining up on the other side of the defensvie line.

Speaking with reporters via Zoom today, Gross-Matos said that Brian Burns has been helping him get acclimated to the league.

Burns is only going into his second year in the NFL, but in this defense players like him and cornerback Donte Jackson will be forced into leadership roles whether they have the requisite experience or not.

Any help that Burns can give Gross-Matos should be welcome. If things work out, they might be starting together for a long time.

Gross-Matos has a strong relative athletic score, but there’s more to it than that. Versatility will be key for him earning his playing time. Gross-Matos said he’s taking notes on every position up front, not just his own.

We should expect to see a lot more mixing and matching in the trenches than we had in the past.

During the draft, coach Rhule talked about using first-round pick Derrick Brown at multiple spots. If Gross-Matos can as well, it will give defensive coordinator Phil Snow a lot more options.

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