Carolina’s 0-3 road start contrasts with a tight 30-0 home win over Atlanta as the Panthers pivot toward a tough Sunday clash with Miami. Derrick Brown stands out as a beacon on a still-developing defense, offering a steady floor with tackle volume and strong run defense as the unit slowly builds under Ejiro Evero. The Panthers sit mid-pack defensively, but Brown’s progression and Panthers’ rookie tease hint at upside in future matchups.

Brown’s pace and run-stopping grade anchor a defensive retooling that also features a wider field of interior defenders in the league’s early All-Pro evaluations. Brown sits seventh on the Panthers in tackles while delivering two QB hits and two passes defensed, and his 78.9 grade signals genuine impact against the run despite overall defensive growing pains. Two Panthers rookies are making noise in limited snaps, while Bryce Young’s lingering issues raise questions about development as Carolina looks to turn the corner this season.

Penei Sewell anchored Detroit’s rushing attack with a historic 99.3 run-blocking grade—the highest single-game run-block grade in PFF history. Bills’ David Edwards (93.8) and Cowboys’ Terence Steele (89.3 HM) fed the prime zone blocks, while Aaron Brewer (92.7) and Drew Dalman (79.8) flashed at center. On defense, Eric Wilson (95.7) led run defense for linebackers, with Aidan Hutchinson (93.1) and Cameron Heyward (90.8) dominating the line play. Poona Ford (89.8) highlighted interior stops.

The piece underlines how weekly run-game grades shape fantasy upside, highlighting OL dominance and DL impact as recurring fantasy levers. It also marks the Lions and Steelers as teams with elevated run-block/run-defense narratives to monitor for DFS and prop bets.