Game Recap: Cowboys lose to Carolina, 30-27- Kurt Daniels, DallasCowboys.com It wasn’t pretty, but relive the disappointing loss. Despite the offense’s continued success, at this point the Dallas defense seemingly had no solutions for stopping the Panthers when they had the ball. As the clock ticked over into the fourth quarter, Dowdle continued to pound […] Game Recap: Cowboys lose to Carolina, 30-27- Kurt Daniels, DallasCowboys.com It wasn’t pretty, but relive the disappointing loss. Despite the offense’s continued success, at this point the Dallas defense seemingly had no solutions for stopping the Panthers when they had the ball. As the clock ticked over into the fourth quarter, Dowdle continued to pound away at their forces, rushing five times for 37 yards. The scoring honors, though, would go to McMillan, who got his second touchdown to provide Carolina with another lead. Who would blink first? The Cowboys nearly did, but on a third-and-5 at his own 35-yard line, Prescott again connected with Pickens, who spun away from the defense for a 45-yard gain. Dallas went on to get to the Panthers’ 8 but that would be it, and Aubrey had to come out for a 28-yard field goal to tie the game, 27-27. When the Cowboys defense then finally – finally! – got a three-and-out stop, it seemed that would be the break the team needed. But unable to take advantage, the Dallas offense then had to punt for only the third time all game. Meaning, the defense desperately needed another stop. They couldn’t get it. It looked like the Cowboys actually did when a Carolina pass on third-and-7 at its own 17-yard line fell incomplete, but a pass interference penalty on Kaiir Elam moved the chains and the possession continued. And later in the series, another Young attempt was no good on third-and-4 at the Dallas 40-yard line, but the Panthers converted the fourth down try to keep the drive alive as the clock hit the two-minute warning. When Carolina then picked up a first down at the Dallas 12-yard line with 1:01 remaining, and the Cowboys out of timeouts, Young simply kneeled the ball twice to run the time down to three seconds. Ryan Fitzgerald then kicked the 33-yard field goal as the clock hit zeroes to capture the 30-27 win. Dallas Cowboys vs. Carolina Panthers: Battle of the Blues – Cody Warren, Inside The Star The defense falters, and the offense wasn’t able to make up for it. Carolina came out punching at the beginning of the third quarter with a long pass to rookie receiver Jimmy Horn Jr. Rico Dowdle finished off the drive by exposing a terrible Dallas Cowboys zone passing defense with a 33-yard touchdown catch from Bryce Young and making the score 20-17 Carolina. Javonte Williams and the Cowboys’ offense attempted to establish a strong rushing game, but the Panthers’ defense focused on stopping the run and succeeded. Rico Dowdle continues to dominate the Cowboys, but Marist Liufau picked up a much-needed sack to slow down the Panthers’ offense. The Dallas defense actually forced a punt and gave the offense a chance to go back on top in what is becoming an offensive battle. The Cowboys’ run game was shut down by the Panthers’ front five. Still, the passing game and Carolina defensive penalties kept the offense humming, which culminated in a George Pickens receiving touchdown, putting the Cowboys up 24-20. This Cowboys’ defense is the first defense in their history to give up 100 yards rushing to a former running back, as Rico Dowdle had slashed the defense up to the end of the third quarter. Cowboys defense atrocious again, Panthers win 30-27 on 6-minute game ending drive – K.D. Drummond, Cowboys Wire It was a tough fourth-quarter watch. The Panthers were able to do pretty much whatever they wanted when they had the ball, save for a deflected pass for an interception in the first half, and a penalty-caused three-and-out in the fourth quarter. QB Dak Prescott and the Cowboys held their own, up until a strange response to that three and out gave the ball right back to Carolina. The Panthers took the final possession, wore out all six minutes and seven seconds remaining to kick a game-winning field goal as time expired to win, 30-27. The loss sunk the Cowboys back below .500, with a 2-3-1 record. They’ll return home next week to host division rival Washington. The Cowboys got another strong performance from Prescott, who for the first time in a while got absolutely no help from the running game. Prescott through for three touchdowns on 261 passing yards, again with no interceptions, improving his numbers to 13 TDs against just three picks on the year. Cowboys all but reveal Matt Eberflus’ fate after latest abomination – Jerry Trotta, The Landry Hat Eberflus’ days might be numbered in Dallas, but it sounds like he will get another shot at it. “Matt’s a great coach,” Schottenheimer said about why he believes Eberflus can fix the defense. “Everywhere he’s ever been, he’s had good defenses. It’s not just Matt by himself. Matt’s trying. The players are trying. This is not a lack of effort.” Is that the quote from a head coach who is close to firing his defensive coordinator? While Schottenheimer doesn’t come across as a coach who will throw coaches or players under the bus, there is clearly a semblance of belief that Eberflus can right the ship. Schottenheimer admittedly was backed into a corner (what else was he supposed to say?), but it sounds like Eberlfus will at least get one more week to save his job. Another abomination in a losing effort against the division-rival Commanders next week could be what pushes Jerry Jones over the edge. Whatever that breaking point is, Schottenehimer and the Jonses at least have to have a conversation about Eberflus. The Cowboys have the most prolific offense in football, and yet every game is a dogfight because the defense can’t stop

Rico Dowdle ran for over 200 yards last week against the Miami Dolphins. When he was asked about his performance after the fact, he noted that his old team in the Dallas Cowboys had better “buckle up” with regards to facing him with his new team in the Carolina Panthers. Sunday came. The Cowboys were […] Rico Dowdle ran for over 200 yards last week against the Miami Dolphins. When he was asked about his performance after the fact, he noted that his old team in the Dallas Cowboys had better “buckle up” with regards to facing him with his new team in the Carolina Panthers. Sunday came. The Cowboys were not buckled up. Dowdle finished Sunday’s Panthers win with 30 carries (also the number of points Carolina scored) for 183 yards. He also had 4 receptions for 56 yards and a score. He lived up to the shot he called in every possible way. When asked about it all following the contest Rico seemed to troll the Cowboys in saying “they wasn’t buckled up.” It is often said that history is written by the winners and on Sunday afternoon Dowdle held the pen. While bragging about success against the current version of the Cowboys defense is a bit of a choice at the end of the day, he lived up to his end of the bargain. See More: Dallas Cowboys News

Matt Eberflus had tremendous success during his stint as the Dallas Cowboys linebacker coach. Sean Lee thrived under him. Anthony Hitchens and Damien Wilson became legitimate role players thanks to his teachings. We all (speaking generally here) wanted him to have the defensive coordinator title in an official sense in those days, but the Cowboys […] Matt Eberflus had tremendous success during his stint as the Dallas Cowboys linebacker coach. Sean Lee thrived under him. Anthony Hitchens and Damien Wilson became legitimate role players thanks to his teachings. We all (speaking generally here) wanted him to have the defensive coordinator title in an official sense in those days, but the Cowboys held strong in keeping Rod Marinelli. Times are tough for Eberflus’ defense right now and no one is here to cast stones. We are simply here to look at how we got to this point and where it all started. The front office holds blame for Matt Eberflus Let’s be clear that Matt Eberflus is responsible for his own actions. His defense is actively holding the Cowboys back as an overall team and he deserves blame. We are in unison. Now let’s zoom out. Brian Schottenheimer is in his first year as the Cowboys’ head coach and one would assume that he would have been the one in charge of determining who his DC would be. Remember that this is the Dallas Cowboys, though. Jump to the 10:22 mark of this interview that Ed Werder and Matt Mosley conducted with Eberflus back in the offseason. Werder asks Eberflus what made him want to return to Dallas given that he (in Werder’s words) had other offers to be a DC in 2025. “Number one, the Jones family. The familiarity with them. I love Mr. Jones, Stephen Jones, and the entire family. To be able to come back and work with those guys. I trust them, know them, have a relationship with them. That to was number one.” “Secondly, when I was visiting with the Cowboys at that time I really didn’t know who the head coach was going to be because everybody was recruiting everybody at that time.” NFL hiring cycles can be wild. It is fair to have discussions and interviews with candidates for different spots on your staff due to the chaotic nature of it all. But consider that for Eberflus the Jones family was number one on his list and that he did not know his boss would be Brian Schottenheimer. Consider that this report from Pro Football Talk reinforced how Eberflus was thought to be the top defensive coordinator for the Cowboys even before Schotty was hired to be the team’s head coach. Conspiracy theorists noted at the time how Eberflus fit the mold as someone who the front office has a relationship and familiarity with, so did Schotty to be fair, which draws the line between the dots. It is easy and convenient to blame the Jones family when times are tough for the Cowboys, but in this instance it is more than fair. Their apparent insistence on someone they knew has directly compromised this season given that the defense is by far the weakest point of this team at the moment. With all due respect to Eberflus, we should also call out that the Cowboys hired him at literally the first moment that they could when he had to take a demotion. He left Dallas (when he was not the DC) for the DC role with the Indianapolis Colts and left them to be the head coach in Chicago. His next stop was his current one. These words will fall on deaf ears, but if the Cowboys want to have any type of success in the Brian Schottenheimer era then they are going to have to empower the man to make his own decisions. See More: Dallas Cowboys News

The Dallas Cowboys offense did their job to secure another victory in the Week 6 matchup with the Carolina Panthers, but unfortunately their defense was a liability that led to the 30-27 loss. With this loss the Cowboys moved to 2-3-1 on the season and still have a lot a really tough games ahead of […] The Dallas Cowboys offense did their job to secure another victory in the Week 6 matchup with the Carolina Panthers, but unfortunately their defense was a liability that led to the 30-27 loss. With this loss the Cowboys moved to 2-3-1 on the season and still have a lot a really tough games ahead of them on the schedule. It still pretty early to suggest there season is circling the drain, but unless a defense improves things could be heading that direction. This Week 6 matchup shaped up to be a tough one from the beginning for the Cowboys. The Panthers defense is deceptively better than many people believed, and they proved to that by making things extremely difficult, especially in the running game. There was obviously more bad and ugly than we would’ve liked for the Cowboys, but there was a little bit of good mixed in as well. Below we share our good, bad, and ugly from this week’s matchup. THE GOOD – George Pickens Although it didn’t end up making a difference, Georgia Pickens had himself a day. He was able to haul in nine catches for 168 receiving yards and a touchdown this week against the Panthers. His six receiving TD’s this season is not only a career-high for him, but has him tied for the most by a Cowboys player through the first six weeks of the season since the NFL merger. Pickens has really been a difference maker with CeeDee Lamb out it’s just too bad his big day didn’t come with a “W” instead of another disappointing loss. The Cowboys defense has been atrocious this year and there is absolutely no reason to try to suggest otherwise. They gave up 410 total yards and allowed QB Bryce Young to throw for 199 yards and three touchdowns. The worst thing was they had no answer for their former starting RB, Rico Dowdle. Dowdle completely dominated on the ground rushing for 183 yards and added another four catches for 56 receiving yards and a TD through the air. Matt Eberflus’ defense was completely embarrassed and sadly there are no easy fixes. THE UGLY­ – Cowboys’ running game The Cowboys have been at their best when Javonte Williams can find some running room so far this season, but that wasn’t the case against a Panthers in this Week 6 matchup. Carolina’s interior defensive line headlined by Derrick Brown, Bobby Brown III, and A’Shawn Robinson continuously seemed to get the better of Dallas’ interior OL. Brock Hoffman and T.J. Bass particularly seemed to have a hard time handling them throughout the game. Hopefully things will change for the better when both Tyler Booker and Cooper Beebe are able to return to the starting lineup. See More: Dallas Cowboys Roster

The Dallas Cowboys went on the road for the second consecutive week looking for a win. The Cowboys offense scored points but was let down by a leaking defense that had no answer, and some questionable play calls in the fourth quarter. But what did social media have to say as the game unfolded? The […] The Dallas Cowboys went on the road for the second consecutive week looking for a win. The Cowboys offense scored points but was let down by a leaking defense that had no answer, and some questionable play calls in the fourth quarter. But what did social media have to say as the game unfolded? The Cowboys start off slow. Rico Dowdle comes out against his former team looking to add on from last week’s performance. Dallas gets Javonte Williams running. Then hits George Pickens makes the big play under pressure on third down. Pickens makes a huge play, hurdles the defender and gets into the redzone. Ryan Flournoy drops the pass with a defender over him, the result ends in Brandon Aubrey field goal. The score level at 3-3 after the drive. Donovan Wilson makes the interception and gets running upfield. The second quarter starts and Hunter Luepke gets the touchdown. Injury update. Cowboys edge defenders struggling with their run fits and help Dowdle hit the hole to carve up the defense. Carolina answers the call and scores to square the game up. Third down throw to Jake Ferguson, he drops the pass but saved by a pass interference call. Cowboys go for it on fourth down and Pickens is there again. Ferguson scores down the middle. Cowboys go ahead. Carolina with a terrible play and fumble. They recover the lateral and Donovan Ezeiruaku knocks ball out again. Cowboys manage to stay ahead at halftime. But it’s a messy first half on defense for Dallas. Panthers come out in the second half with a huge passing play. Panthers retake the lead. Cowboys hit a brick wall and Panthers get the ball back. Marist Liufau gets the team’s first sack. The Playmaker couldn’t say it better. Ryan Flournoy gets involved here and gets the first down to try and get the offense moving. Deep pass the Pickens draws a roughing the passer penalty. Pickens on the quick throw and splits the defenders for the score. Dallas go ahead. Carolina get the ball back and Dowdle keeps getting upfield in a hurry. Cowboys defense has been a real struggle today. Fourth quarter kicks in. Panthers score and take the lead once again. Pickens making huge plays today and having a career day. Snap is bad and ball fumbles. Dak saves the day by falling on it. Aubrey levels the score. Cowboys defense makes a stop. And the offense goes backward on the drive. It doesn’t get any better. Cowboys defense had a chance. Cowboys lose with a last second field goal. See More: Dallas Cowboys Scores & Results

The Panthers won the toss and deferred which put the Cowboys offense on the field first. It was a rather quick possession as Dallas went three and out. Certainly not an ideal start. Rico Dowdle’s first run went for 9 yards which was notable given his “buckle up” comment ahead of the game and his […] The Dallas Cowboys lost to the Carolina Panthers on Sunday. It was very unfortunate. It was a game very similar to what we have seen all season from Dallas. The offense contended over and over, almost on every possession, but the defense got worked in just about every single way. This type of football (obviously) isn’t sustainable for the Cowboys and their 2-3-1 (gross) record is pretty representative of that. Up next for this team is a home date against a Washington Commanders group that will be anxious to put Dallas in a serious hole in the first half of the season. It is hard to wonder how that will not wind up happening. The Cowboys were favorites in this game, the second time this season that they were favored on the road. While the Carolina loss was not embarrassing as the other (the Bears one), that we are even having to compare the two is frustrating. Unbelievable. First Quarter The Panthers won the toss and deferred which put the Cowboys offense on the field first. It was a rather quick possession as Dallas went three and out. Certainly not an ideal start. Rico Dowdle’s first run went for 9 yards which was notable given his “buckle up” comment ahead of the game and his history with the Cowboys. His second run was also sizable which made things feel tenuous. Dowdle had 3 carries for 29 yards and a reception for 13 more on Carolina’s opening possession. Thankfully the Cowboys were able to make a stand as it neared the goal line and forced the Panthers to settle for a field goal. SCORE: COWBOYS 0, PANTHERS 3 (Ryan Fitzgerald 31-yard field goal) The Cowboys were able to find some success on offense this time around and both George Pickens and Ryan Flournoy were reasons why. Things ultimately stalled out and Dallas settled for a field goal, but a big reason they were down there was this acrobatic moment from Pickens. SCORE: COWBOYS 3, PANTHERS 3 (Brandon Aubrey 23-yard field goal) The Panthers appeared to be finding offensive success on their next offensive possession. It was then that disaster struck for them. A tipped pass wound up in the hands of Donovan Wilson for the game’s first turnover. Dallas was already in striking distance and got down near the goal line for a 4th and 1 where they let things reach the end of the quarter to have time to think on it. Second Quarter As noted the Cowboys went to the break with a chance to think about what they wanted to do on 4th and 1. They wanted to get the ball to Hunter Luepke and did for a touchdown! SCORE: COWBOYS 10, PANTHERS 3 (Dak Prescott to Hunter Luepke touchdown) Carolina began their next drive on their own 19-yard line, but that did not seem to bother them. Dowdle continued to thrive and gashed the Cowboys on just about every carry. He did not wind up scoring for the Panthers, but Tetairoa McMillan did. It was his first career touchdown. Of course it came against Dallas. SCORE: COWBOYS 10, PANTHERS 10 (Bryce Young to Tetairoa McMillan touchdown) The challenge was on for the Cowboys to answer and it appeared to be a challenge that they took seriously. Ryan Flournoy continued to be featured and George Pickens kept making clutch catches. Notably, Dallas went for it on 4th and 4 well within field goal range. Greg Olsen even expressed some doubt in being that aggressive on the broadcast. It was all for not though as Prescott found Pickens despite the latter getting held on the play. Shortly after a conversion that empowered the team overall Dak found Jake Ferguson in the endzone for the touchdown! SCORE: COWBOYS 17, PANTHERS 10 (Dak Prescott to Jake Ferguson touchdown) The Panthers offense began to move once more and in a relatively unchallenged way. It was, as it has been all season for this side of the ball, very frustrating to watch. There was a wild sequence just before the end of the half. After catching a pass, Panthers wide receiver Xavier Legette tossed a lateral to Rico Dowdle for what appeared to be no reason. Carolina had two timeouts at the moment in question to be clear. Officials had to get matters squared away and it took a little while. Ultimately the Panthers were facing third and long and got in range for a field goal they pulled off. SCORE: COWBOYS 17, PANTHERS 13 (Ryan Fitzgerald 55-yard field goal) The Cowboys took a knee to send things to halftime right after as there were only a few seconds left. Third Quarter The Panthers made very quick work of their first possession to start the half. It took Carolina four plays to travel 80 yards (for real). 36 of them came on the fourth play as Bryce Young found Rico Dowdle for the touchdown. SCORE: COWBOYS 17, PANTHERS 20 (Bryce Young to Rico Dowdle touchdown) Pressure was officially on the Cowboys at this point as they were trailing for the first time in a while. Unfortunately the ground game was still not helping much and Dallas was held without points on a possession for the first time since their opening one. Thankfully the Cowboys defense was able to get a stop as things began to pick up in stress. Marist Liufau deserves some huge praise as it was his sack that derailed the Panthers’ drive and ultimately led to them punting. The Cowboys offense had to go to work and that is exactly what they did. George Pickens continued to come alive and finally broke through

It is normal to feel a little nervous about a road game when you’re only 2-2-1. Dallas is favored by three points despite CeeDee Lamb still being out, but Dallas has shown both the good and bad this year, and you never know which one will show up. Carolina is 2-3, but they’ve yet to […] It is normal to feel a little nervous about a road game when you’re only 2-2-1. Dallas is favored by three points despite CeeDee Lamb still being out, but Dallas has shown both the good and bad this year, and you never know which one will show up. Carolina is 2-3, but they’ve yet to lose a game at home this season, beating the Falcons and Dolphins. Does that make anyone more nervous about this one? Let’s see what our writers think. When Carolina has the ball Bring the seatbelts Former Cowboys running back Rico Dowdle went off last week in his first start of the year, topping 200 yards on the day, and proceeded to tell his former team to “buckle up” for this week. Brian Schottenheimer then jokingly said his team would bring their seatbelts. They’ll need to, though. Carolina is one of the better rushing offenses in the league right now, whether it’s Dowdle or banged-up starter Chuba Hubbard. And while Dallas has been generally decent against the run this year, they gave up several huge plays last week after Jack Sanborn went down. They’ll need to be on their best against the run to keep this Panthers offense from doing what they do best. When Dallas has the ball Run, run, run The Cowboys are firing on all cylinders right now, offensively speaking. Dak Prescott is building a strong MVP case with the numbers he’s put up with CeeDee Lamb on the sidelines. But this week should be an outlier. The Panthers are undefeated at home for a reason: their field conditions are downright painful for visitors. That makes everything harder on opponents, but cutting and running routes are especially difficult. That’s not to say the Cowboys shouldn’t throw the ball at all, but if I were calling plays, this is one game where I’m leaning on Javonte Williams more than normal. And, thankfully, the idea of leaning on Williams is actually a really good one. Now onto the predictions from your BTB writers… Tom Ryle (3-1-1): It’s hard to call a game a ‘trap game’ for a 2-2-1 team, but this one worries me a tad. I still think the Cowboys will take care of business on the road. Cowboys win, 31-23. Matt Holleran (4-0-1): When the schedule first came out, I always thought this could be a troublesome game for the Cowboys. I still think that today. The Panthers aren’t a playoff team, but they are better than the Jets. I think their defensive front will give Dallas fits in the run game and it will be a battle to move the football on the ground. In the end, I see Dallas’ offense making one more big play than Carolina to give them the win. Give me the Cowboys, 23-20. Mike Poland (2-2-1): The Panthers defense have managed to rack up a grand total of 5 sacks this year on defense, that ranks last in the NFL. The Cowboys offensive line, however, has allowed only 7 sacks, that’s fourth fewest. And the crazy part is the Panthers entire edge rusher unit combine for just one sack. That means Dak should have more time to find the likes of Ferguson, Flournoy and Pickens and chew the defense apart. With the Cowboys defense finding form last week that should give the unit confidence this week heading into a team that’s run-first. Providing they come out in the same manner as last week this is a big Cowboys victory and take two consecutive road wins. Cowboys go 3-2-1 and win 35-20. Brian Martin (3-1-1): The Panthers are so far undefeated at home, but they haven’t squared off against an offense like the Cowboys. Even shorthanded they didn’t skip a beat last week against the Jets and with reinforcements on the way they should easily outscore QB Bryce Young and Company. Score prediction: Cowboys 37, Panthers 17. Jess Haynie (3-1-1): While Carolina benefits from playing at home and against the Dallas D, it won’t be enough to answer Prescott, Pickens, and the Cowboys’ hot offense. Cowboys 37, Panthers 27. David Howman (2-2-1): I said before the season that I was a believer in this Panthers team, specifically head coach Dave Canales. I still feel that way, but the Cowboys have also looked (thus far) to be every bit what I expected them to be too. Considering I had this as a win for Dallas before the season, I still feel that way. I do, however, think it’ll be a close one. Field conditions are less than ideal, and the Panthers have some real talent. I think this will be a physical game dominated by the rushing attack on both sides, but I see Dak Prescott making just a couple impact plays to tip the scale in the Cowboys’ favor. Cowboys win, 24-20. See More: Dallas Cowboys Roster

The Dallas Cowboys face the Carolina Panthers in Week 6. Dallas is looking for its first win streak of the season. The Cowboys went on the road last week against the New York Jets and played their most complete game of the season in a 37-22 win. The Cowboys offense kept doing their thing which […] The Dallas Cowboys face the Carolina Panthers in Week 6. Dallas is looking for its first win streak of the season. The Cowboys went on the road last week against the New York Jets and played their most complete game of the season in a 37-22 win. The Cowboys offense kept doing their thing which is racking up points. But they did it with a new leader in catches and yards for the game, Ryan Flournoy. This week, watch out for more of Jake Ferguson as the Panthers really struggle to check tight ends. Perhaps the most important thing to come out of the Jets game was the Cowboys pass rush finally waking up. Five sacks against Justin Fields and many more hits and pressures wrecked the Jets offense. If the front four can repeat that this week against Bryce Young, the Cowboys should come out of the game as winners. Info for the game. Cowboys vs Panthers game info Important links: Cowboys depth chart | Roster Date: Oct 12, 2025 Game time: 1:00 PM EST Location: Charlotte, NC – Bank of America Stadium TV channel: FOX Coverage Map: 506 Sports Radio: 105.3 The Fan | SXM Streaming: Fubo Cowboys record: (2-2-1) Panthers record: (2-3) Odds: Dallas -3, courtesy of FanDuel Prediction: Cowboys 34 – Panthers 17 Enemy blog: Cat Scratch Reader Twitter: @BloggingTheBoys Facebook: Please Like us! See More: Dallas Cowboys Game Information

When the Cowboys take the field this Sunday, it’ll be their third straight year facing the Panthers in Carolina. Even with a new coaching staff in Dallas, that lends itself to some familiarity with this squad, especially on defense, where defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero has been for all three games. Evero has been one of […] When the Cowboys take the field this Sunday, it’ll be their third straight year facing the Panthers in Carolina. Even with a new coaching staff in Dallas, that lends itself to some familiarity with this squad, especially on defense, where defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero has been for all three games. Evero has been one of the rising stars in the coaching ranks for a while now, viewed by many as a future head coach. He famously turned down the Broncos interim head coaching gig when Nathaniel Hackett was fired in 2022, and instead went to Carolina as the defensive coordinator. Through his first two years running the Panthers defense, Evero hasn’t had much success. His first year in Carolina, which saw Frank Reich fired midseason, finished with the defense 26th in EPA/play allowed and 32nd in defensive DVOA. Last year, the defense finished 32nd in EPA/play allowed and 30th in defensive DVOA. That’s not what you want to see, but the Panthers also had a litany of injuries on defense last year. By the end of the year, they had lost seven starters to season-ending injuries, with Pro Bowl nose tackle Derrick Brown going down in the season opener. Brown is now back in action and leads the team in sacks, and Carolina went to work to upgrade the defensive roster around him: in the offseason, they added six new players that have all become key contributors on that side of the ball. The result: modest improvement, but nothing extraordinary. Carolina ranks 21st in EPA/play allowed and 27th in defensive DVOA. To understand the defensive struggles, it’s important to understand Evero’s scheme. He’s a Vic Fangio disciple through and through, coaching under him with the 49ers and later becoming right-hand-man to fellow Fangio disciple Brandon Staley while with the Rams. As such, Evero’s scheme is built on playing with a light box and committing defenders to pass coverage, routinely using two deep safeties to keep everything in front of the defensive backs. As with any scheme, there are pro’s and con’s to the approach. Evero’s scheme fundamentally asks a lot from his defensive line and safety groups. The defensive line must generate pass rush to force quarterbacks into throwing shorter passes, as well as hold their own against the run with such a light box, while the safeties have to trigger downfield from far away to make plays after the catch and keep those short passes short. Therein lies the problem for the Panthers. Nobody has fewer sacks than them, and their pressure rate is tied with the aforementioned Staley’s Saints unit for second-worst in the league. Opposing receivers are averaging 3.8 yards of separation at the catch point against this defense, tied for fourth-most in the league; again, that’s a feature of the coverage scheme, but it’s a problem when the Panthers are also giving up 513 yards after the catch. Against the run, the defensive line hasn’t been getting it done either. They’re stuffing the run on just 12.5% of run plays, sixth-lowest in the league. They’re now going up against a Cowboys offense that has the lowest rate in the league of runs that get stuffed. That hardly bodes well for them. So when the defensive line can’t get pressure or stop the run, and the coordinator refuses to help them out with blitzes or loading the box more – Carolina ranks in 25th in blitz rate and 27th in stacked box rate – what else is supposed to happen? The Panthers know their scheme well by now, but Evero isn’t getting adequate enough production to run the scheme effectively. Sooner or later, something has to give. This week may be their most challenging yet. Dallas is red-hot offensively, torching defenses through the air and on the ground. They’re averaging 187 passing yards a game just on plays where there’s no pressure and 7.3 yards per carry against light boxes. Things don’t look good for this Carolina defense right now. See More: Dallas Cowboys General