Hello CSR! Welcome to your defensive preview, as the Panthers travel to face the New York Jets in what should be a very winnable game this week. The Jets will not have WR Garrett Wilson, which won’t help
an offense that managed a negative 10 yards net passing in London last week. However, the Panthers, especially their defense, should not sleep on the Jets in this opportunity to win 3 games in a row for the first time in, well, a while. The Jets still boast the #5 rushing offense on yards per game right behind Carolina at #4, and a mobile Justin Fields could be a problem for a Panthers defense that struggles to get after the passer without blitzing. Let’s dive right into this matchup!
- Rush defense will be tested, early and often. The Panthers are coming off two straight games where they absolutely stymied the opposing offense’s rushing attack, as they held the Dolphins to 19 total rushing yards, and the Cowboys to 31 total rushing yards. Both teams featured running backs on hot streaks for 2025, but the Jets are going to be a bit of a different animal on Sunday. Without their favorite wide receiver Garrett Wilson, I expect them to lean on the rushing attack regardless of game script throughout this entire game. Both the Dolphins and Cowboys failed to attempt to run the ball more than 20 times as a unit these last two weeks, but they also don’t have to lean as hard on their rushing attack nearly as much as the Jets should this week. The Panthers rush defense is quietly 9th in the league in yards per game, but that statistic is heavily skewed by two weeks of very good performances in wins. Derrick Brown, Bobby Brown III, and A’Shawn Robinson could be aided by a returning Tershawn Wharton along the interior line, but will be missing EDGE Patrick Jones after he unfortunately went to injured/reserve earlier this week. They are going to be tested by this Jets offense looking for life and their first win in 2025.
- A plus matchup for the pass rush. The Panthers pass rush has struggled to get after the quarterback without blitzing in most games, and while the defense has made plays and limited the exposure to this problem, they can’t afford to let Justin Fields out of the pocket. Say what you will about Fields, but his best moments come out of structure when he can get outside of the pocket. The Jets have collectively allowed 25 sacks throughout 6 weeks of football, and Carolina definitely needs to pile on a few more here. They don’t necessarily have to sack him 5 times, but they need to keep Fields from getting comfortable and collapse the pocket as much as possible to keep him contained. If he’s getting out running consistently, the Panthers could be in for a long day on defense, especially with the Panthers offense facing a formidable Jets defense.
- Have a plan for whomever becomes the Jets go-to receiver. The Panthers consistently struggled in the beginning of the season against opposing tight ends. However, the Cowboys only found Jake Ferguson three times for 33 yards and a TD, while fullback Hunter Luepke also found a scoring play. You’ll take those wins though instead of seeing a tight end gash the defense all day for yardage. Rookie TE Mason Taylor could end up being the security valve for Justin Fields, but I’d say the only positive for them not having WR Garrett Wilson is its hard to say who takes over as the go-to guy for this offense. WRs Josh Reynolds, Arian Smith, Allen Lazard, and Tyler Johnson will all be vying for targets on Sunday, and its up to the Panthers to scheme around that. Someone will emerge as the number one target, I just hope the damage is limited and the Panthers can shut it down.
What are you looking for from the defense on Sunday, Panthers fans?
