The Detroit Lions (2-1) and Carolina Panthers (1-2) will square off in Week 4 on “Sunday Night Football,” with each team looking to notch another early-season win. The Lions are favored by just over a field goal in this matchup, but Lions coach Dan Campbell knows this Panthers team is talented and likely hungry to rebound from last week’s loss.
“New week here, new opponent going out to their place, ‘Sunday Night Football,’ Charlotte, North Carolina. It’ll be loud. It’s going to be one of those environments
that we’ve got to be able to have poise under those circumstances. They’re coming off of a loss, and so they’re going to want to make that right. At home, big game for them. So, we’ll get their best shot […] This will be a good test. We’re looking forward to it.”
Let’s take a closer look at the Panthers’ coaching staff, the scheme they run, and scouting notes from their most recently viewed games.
Panthers head coach: Dave Canales
NFL coaching seasons: In his 17th season (Seahawks, Bucs, Panthers)
Head coaching seasons: In his 3rd season (Panthers 2024-present)
Offensive coordinator: One (Bucs 2023)
Passing game coordinator: Two (Seahawks (2020-21)
Influences: Pete Carroll (culture), Darrell Bevell, Brian Schottenheimer
Coached under: Carroll, Bevell, Schottenheimer, Shane Waldron, Todd Bowles
Play caller: No (passed them over to his OC this offseason)
Dan Campbell on Canales:
“Canales has done a heck of a job over there. They won that division last year; playoff team. They’ve got plenty of weapons.”
Offensive coordinator: Brad Idzik
NFL coaching seasons: In his 8th season (Seahawks, Bucs, Panthers)
Offensive coordinator seasons: In his 3rd season (Panthers 2024-present)
Previous coaching positions: Assistant WR, QB coach (Seahawks), WR coach (Bucs)
Influences: Dave Canales, Brian Schottenheimer, Shane Waldron
Coached under: Pete Carroll, Schottenheimer, Waldron, Canales, David Shaw (Stanford 2014-18)
Staff ties to Detroit: Darrell Bevell (associate HC & offensive specialist), Dean Petzing (Brother of Lions OC Drew Petzing)
Offensive scheme
Passing game: Shanahan/McVay
Running scheme: Zone-heavy rushing scheme
Scouting notes:
- Predominantly in 11 (68%) or 12 personnel (27%), with sprinkles of 13 (5%)
- Heavy lean on passing game (pass on 68% of offensive plays) in run/pass balance
- Play-action is a staple of scheme: 29% of offensive snaps (8th most in NFL) through three games
- QB Bryce Young has an EPA of 0.26 on play-action snaps (9th best)
- Top of the NFL in passing yards per game: 295.7 per game average (1st); 7.7 passing yards per play (7th)
- Young’s EPA passing vs. Man coverage: -0.09 (29th)
- Young’s EPA passing vs. Zone coverage: 0.15 (14th)
- Benefited with yards after the catch (YAC): 387 total YAC (6th)
- Offensive line has struggled in pass pro, and with so many passing attempts, the numbers are ugly
- 58 pressures and a 43.6% pressure rate are both the highest in the NFL (32nd)
- Time to pressure: 2.52 seconds is the fifth-fastest allowed (rank: 28th)
- On the positive side, Young’s mobility masks some of the protection issues
- Sacks allowed: just 7 (15th)
- Sack rate: 5.4% (12th)
- Deploy a balanced straight-ahead run scheme: inside zone (33.3%), outside zone (24%), and man/gap (19%) so far in 2026
- Averaging 4.3 yards per carry (10th), but on 97 rushing yards per game (21st) because the rushing attack is used less frequently
- Rushing success rate: 40.3% (19th), per NFL Pro
Dan Campbell on Panthers offense:
“Their offense over there, (QB) Bryce (Young) makes it problematic. He’s got a quick release. He sees it. They’re doing a good job there. They’re under center, they’re in pistol, they’re in gun, boots, keepers, RPOs, dot runs. (RB Chuba) Hubbard runs hard, and then they’ve got targets now. They’ve got big skill between these receivers and the tight ends. These are big, tall possession guys that can go above the rim and are strong at the catchpoint.”
Defensive coordinator: Ejiro Evero
NFL coaching seasons: In his 19th season (Bucs, 49ers, Packers, Rams, Broncos, Panthers)
Defensive coordinator seasons: In his fifth season (Broncos 2022, Panthers 2023-present)
Previous roles: Quality Control, Safeties coach, Secondary coach, Passing Game Coordinator
Influences: Monte Kiffin, Vic Fangio, Dom Capers, Wade Phillips, Raheem Morris
Coached under: Jon Gruden & Kiffin, Morris, Jim Harbaugh & Fangio & Eric Mangini, Mike McCarthy & Capers, Sean McVay & Phillips & Brandon Staley, Nathaniel Hackett
Staff ties to Detroit: Todd Wash (defensive line)
Defensive scheme
Base: 3-4 front, hybrid 2-4 subpackage
Coverage: Fangio-based zone coverage scheme, split-safety two-high shell (less in 2026)
Scouting notes:
- Adaptive gap-and-a-half front from 3-4 BASE (37%) and 2-4 Subpackages: NICKEL (41.5%), DIME (20%)
- Bend-don’t-break philosophy, limit explosives — allowing 6.1 yards per reception (5th)
- Standard boxes (rush 4) — only stack the box 12% of the time (27th most)
- Blitz 37.6% of the time (7th) — a high number for a Fangio-style scheme, and not overly effective
- Pressures forced: 40 (15th)
- Pressure rate: 34.2% (21st)
- Time to pressure: 2.70 seconds (23rd)
- Sacks: 7 (11th)
- Sack rate: 6.0% (19th)
- Lean on 3-safety sets in subpackages
- Show 2-high shell pre-snap, then post-snap safety rotations designed to disguise coverages
- Predominantly single-high in 2026 (65%): Cover-3 (49%) and Cover-1 (14%)
- Stay in 2-high shell 35% of the time in 2026: Cover-2 (12%), Cover-4 (11%), Cover-6 (12%)
- Passing yards allowed per game through three games: 172.3 (5th)
- Haven’t allowed a QB to throw for 300 yards in 2025 or 2026
- One of the reasons their pass defense rankings are so high is that offenses are gashing them on the ground
- Rush yards per game allowed: 193.3 (32nd) — Bears ran for 291 yards, Falcons 157, Browns 132
- Rush yards per play allowed: 5.7 (32nd) — Bears 7.5, Falcons 4.9, Browns 4.4
- EPA per rush defended: -0.01 (24th)
- 10+ yard rushes allowed: 13 (29th)
- Stuff rate success: 8.9% (31st)
- Rush yards before contact: 1.92 (27th)
- Rush yards after contact: 3.85 (32nd)
Dan Campbell on Panthers’ defense:
“Defensive scheme has been there now going on really, I guess four years now. And it’s a sound, aggressive unit. They play headsy, they play where their help’s at. It’s fed by really this front seven, front six, that D-line led by (DT Derrick) Brown and (EDGE Jaelan) Phillips. And then I think they’ll get (LB Devin) Lloyd back this week. So, he’s pretty dang versatile, does a lot for them.”
