Like Kansas in college basketball and Alabama in the college football rankings, it’s become a given to expect the Panthers to finish in the top 10 each year in the NFL’s defensive statistics.
Carolina’s Sean McDermott is the only coordinator to oversee a top-10 defense in each of the past four seasons, and at least one Panthers player at training camp mentioned finishing as the No. 1 defense in 2016.
McDermott said that has not been discussed in the defensive meeting room because, well, who wouldn’t have the league’s top D?
“It’s like a goal of winning the Super Bowl.