Solidifying a great Panthers defense?

[Sir Purr]

It’s all part of the process. Making mistakes and learning from them; trusting that everyone is on the same page.


And in Rivera’s view, what separates a truly great defense from a solid one is the players’ ability to instinctively know how their teammates will react to what they see.


That’s what this summer has largely been about for Carolina’s new-look defense.


“Until Eric (Reid) and Tre (Boston) know, without having to say a word, what’s coming; when Bruce (Irvin) and Gerald (McCoy) and KK (Short) can communicate without really saying anything, then you feel like you’re in the flow and you’re better than solid,” Rivera said, “then you’ve taken that next step.”


Of course every team wants to play flawless football in Week 1, but that’s not really how it works. Preseason reps are scant for the starters, and teams end up figuring themselves out a bit in the first few weeks of the regular season.


“Yeah, you want to be your best when the season starts, but the best teams get better as they go,” Boston said.


“I’ll say by about Week 3 or Week 4 you’ll start seeing dudes playing off each other and more fluid communication,” Irvin added.


The sooner the better. And this experienced group is confident it’s only a matter of time.


“We are a group of veterans, so we’ve all seen it before,” Boston said. “Now how can we see it together? We are building that glue, building that bond.”