CHARLOTTE — When the Panthers set out to upgrade their run defense this past offseason, general manager Dan Morgan and crew built it from the inside out. A team is only as good as its defensive line, and after posting all the wrong kinds of numbers as a rush defense last season, the club knew it needed to beef up the front this season.

Through six games this season, the investment is paying off.

The Panthers' run defense has allowed an average of 94.5 yards per game, which is the ninth-best mark in the league. It's an accomplishment made more impressive by the fact the last two weeks were against two of the top rushers in the league, in De'Von Achane (Miami) and Javonte Williams (Dallas). They've also played against the league's leading rusher in Atlanta's Bijan Robinson, who had 72 of h

See Full Page