CHARLOTTE — When the Panthers left Jacksonville after Week 1, it was with complex emotions, particularly for the defense. They knew they'd played better than the scoreboard would indicate, better than the box score would say. But the first showed a 26-10 loss, and the latter 200 yards given up on the ground.

But the tape also showed a run defense performance that defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero felt showed a strong foundation, one that could be built upon as this defense played more together.

"Obviously, Week 1, there were a couple of things we didn't fit correctly and came back to bite us," Evero admitted Thursday. "And so just continuing to understand, like where everybody fits in the puzzle and when they run the ball. How we play up front, how we play off on the second level, and un

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