Panthers are dabblin' with the defense

Team succeeds with tinkering with formations

By Darin Gantt - daringantt@carolina.rr.com

CHARLOTTE -- Call it innovative, or call it desperate.

But make no mistake, the Carolina Panthers are pushing buttons on defense, throwing new looks out on the field weekly.

Last Sunday in Arizona, it was career special teamer Dante Wesley playing a new role on defense. This week, it could be something else.

“In the position we're in, we're just trying to find out what we can do to win,” Wesley said. “I put that on the coaches. They do a great job of coaching us up, putting us in great schemes.”

Good luck getting a coach to say much about it, since everything they plot is considered top secret. But in general terms, last week's usage of Wesley was an example of the try-anything nature of the Panthers' planning.

Facing an Arizona team that loves to spread the field for quarterback Kurt Warner, the Panthers devised a new personnel grouping, which featured three down linemen, linebacker Jon Beason, Wesley in the middle and six other defensive backs behind him. In some ways, it's an extension of the old “Joker” schemes they used with Thomas Davis in the Michael Vick-era Atlanta game plans, and Wesley played a similar role, hugging near the line of scrimmage behind the three-man rush, spying on the quarterback to keep another fast guy in his face.

Linebacker Na'il Diggs, who's off the field in the package, said it was impressive to watch on film because it adds an element of speed to an already-fast Panthers defense.

“It's great because you can match them, move your pieces around a little bit,” Diggs said. “When you've got a Julius Peppers up front, and then a Dante Wesley, a Captain Munnerlyn, a Sherrod Martin you can bring in. … You can plug them in to match what they're doing when they go four wide. That's great. A lot of teams don't have that kind of depth to do that, or that kind of pass-rush or cover guys.

“That's a good group, and they've done a good job of getting us guys that can run with other teams when they try to spread us out.”

The Panthers cooked up the package three weeks ago and planned to use it in the game at Tampa Bay. But then Wesley was thrown out of the game for a second-quarter hit on a punt play, and was suspended the following week, shelving it. With Buffalo using its backup quarterback, they planned on using mostly their base defense and standard nickel, but the Cardinals gave them more of a chance to experiment.

“Each week, you go in with the mindset, based on what they do and what you think will help you get your job accomplished,” defensive coordinator Ron Meeks said. “We get into certain packages based on what we think will work, and based on what they're doing. With New Orleans, their skill set is different than last week. They've got a quarterback who does a great job of what they do, so obviously you have to be smart in what you do and be coordinated with what you do. They do a great job of speeding the game up, so we have to be ready to go when they hit the field.”

Meeks grinned when asked if that special package might be a part of the Saints game plan, saying: “We have to research and see how that's going to play as we move forward.”

Wesley said the balanced nature of the Saints' offense might make it difficult for him to see as much time in the package, it's still there.

The Saints rank higher in rushing yards (fourth, 153.3 yards per game) than passing (275.4 per), meaning they can't simply concentrate on Drew Brees, not with the committee of Reggie Bush, Pierre Thomas and Mike Bell rushing so effectively.

“You know what, the Saints I think, they run more,” Wesley said. “Arizona was a pass-dominant team. With the Saints, you've got to be ready for everything, because they've got Reggie Bush and (Thomas) and (Bell). Those guys run the ball well, and you've got to prepare for that as well.”

Still, the Panthers have seen enough film to know that as good as the rushing game is, it's still Brees who drives that offense, and that they're going to have to be ready to prove that their top-ranked pass defense is not a mirage.

The biggest boost lately has been not with secondary trickery, but with old-fashioned pass rush. The Panthers have 13 sacks the last four games, as Peppers has improved and brought the entire front along with him. That helped the back seven finally get their hands on some balls, as last week's five-interception outburst was more than they had in the first six games.

“Really, it starts up front with our D-line,” cornerback Richard Marshall said.

“The last three or four games, they've gotten a lot of pressure on the quarterback, making him throw the ball fast, and not let him sit back there. And we've just been picking them off when they come, even our linebackers are back there getting interceptions.

“That's big, when your D-line can get in there, get sacks, create turnovers and make quarterback hurry his throws and his reads. Been great for us in the back end.”

Mostly, the Panthers' defense knows that this week is a chance to define themselves on a big stage, to prove that the strides they've made aren't just phony numbers against bad teams.

Repeat the way they played last week, slow down the league's best offense even a little, and they'll know they're actually working toward something.

That's why as tough as his job will be this week, Meeks can't help but smile.

“You don't have to worry about getting your players up for it,” Meeks said.

“They get me up for it.”