Going into Week 4, the Carolina Panthers sported the league’s stoutest defense by a long shot. However, their first three tests—the Jets, Saints, and Texans—could not be mistaken for a gauntlet of offensive juggernauts. The defense faced by far their toughest test to this point in the season against the Cowboys, and they did not pass it.
The Cowboys torched the Panthers, gaining 7.7 yards per play and tallying up 36 points, six more points than the Panthers allowed in the first three weeks combined. The Panthers struggled to get pressure on Dak Prescott and had several coverage breakdowns on the backend.