It's kind of difficult to analyze the Carolina Panthers this year. Are they good? Are they bad? It might be both. They can sweep the Atlanta Falcons and beat the Green Bay Packers, but they can also lose to the New Orleans Saints and allow 40 to the Buffalo Bills in a rout.
It's also difficult to assess each individual unit. Is the defense good? They allowed 40 to the Bills and 42 to the New England Patriots, but shut out Atlanta and allowed just 13 to Green Bay. The offense has scored 30 a couple of times, but they've also come out of a game with just one touchdown.
With all that in mind, Mina Kimes, who also knows how challenging this team can be to assess, has one thing that she knows for sure about the Panthers.
Derrick Brown
Nov 16, 2025; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; Carolina Panthers defensive tackle Derrick Brown (95) looks on after a defensive stop against the Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images / Dale Zanine-Imagn Images
The Carolina Panthers had the worst run defense in the NFL last season, and it wasn't particularly close. They yielded roughly 180 yards on the ground per game. This year, the one thing that we do know about this team is that it has improved that aspect.
The Panthers have been a roller coaster this year but one thing is clear: The run defense (6th in success rate) is VASTLY improved. pic.twitter.com/RSHS38WaUV
— Mina Kimes (@minakimes) November 20, 2025
Mina Kimes said, "I joke a lot about how I don't know which Panthers we're going to get on any given day, but if I had to say something about this team that I feel concrete: the run defense... It went from being non-functional last year, the worst in the NFL, to shutting teams down."
Kimes said she feels pretty good about the run defense every single week, giving credit to Ejiro Evero as well as the players for playing well. Derrick Brown's return has helped, too, and Kimes "feels good" about stating that the run defense is "much better in 2025."
It is a little bit shocking how well the run defense has played this year. They've been gashed at times and just had a ton of trouble containing Bijan Robinson (as most teams do), but they're sixth in success rate in that area, which is unfathomable after last year.
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