GLENDALE, Ariz. — The Panthers' defense has maintained all offseason that they improved the run defense. That came into question after Week 1, when the unit gave up 200 yards to the Jaguars, making it the seventh game in a row that had given up 200-plus rushing. But they went into the week of preparation ahead of the Cardinals game, focusing on cleaning up a scheme and personnel groupings that they knew could have success.

The result? The best rush defense performance since Week 3 of last season.

"I think that our coaches did make a huge emphasis on that in practice, making tackles, open field tackles, stopping the run," safety Lathan Ransom shared after Sunday's game against the Cardinals. "And I think that's just a hat's off to the D-line, to linebackers and everyone's executing thei

See Full Page