CHARLOTTE — This has obviously not been an ideal start for Panthers defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero and his staff this season.

But he also emphasized Thursday, there's a lot of season left.

The Panthers rank 28th in the league in total yards allowed per game (371.2) and last in points allowed (33.0), but those numbers come with some significant caveats.

Evero lost his best player (Derrick Brown) and his defensive signal-caller (Shaq Thompson) to season-ending injuries in the first month of the season, along with smaller-scale injuries that have knocked out safety Jordan Fuller (IR), linebacker Josey Jewell, and nose tackle Shy Tuttle for stretches.

But Evero said that he didn't enter the season concerned about their depth on that side of the ball.

"No," he replied Thursday. "Look, I'm very happy with the guys that we have and, obviously, you know, we've lost a couple along the way. But there really is no excuse, and there isn't because we are more than capable of playing well. We've just got to continue to coach better and strive to play better. And that's our goal. Things haven't worked out the way that we wanted to start the season, the goal is always to win, obviously. And then, the goal for us is to play well in defense, and we haven't done that. So, there's no excuses.

"We've got to just do better, and we can't blame personnel, or whatever. Like Dan (GM Dan Morgan) does a great job. I have a lot of faith in what he and his staff do, and we've just got to find a way to do a little bit more. But I'm very optimistic about what we can do, and I know that these guys are out here working; they're given their all in the weight room, in the classroom, taking care of their bodies. There's a lot of effort that's going on behind the scenes. And so, I just believe that at some point, we're going to start seeing the fruits of that labor."

The biggest challenge has been up front, in replacing a Pro Bowler like Brown, but also having to patchwork the rest of the line, particularly when Tuttle was missing for two games.

"It's always a challenge, and when you have new guys in there and the way you always try to build is that, like, you start off in the offseason and you accumulate reps, and those experiences make guys better," Evero said. "But that being said, it's the next man up and we've just got to do a great job of coaching those guys up, which we've been doing.

"The goal is always to play better at the end of the year than you do at the start. And so, regardless of who's in there, we've got to have the mindset of getting better every day and focus in on our technique and fundamentals in our scheme. And, as we work through the season, we should see improvement on the field."

A chance for the young kid

Chau Smith-Wade's NFL career took an exponential jump on Sunday, as the rookie corner played the most snaps of his young career. After having played at most, two defensive snaps in a game in Weeks 1-4, the Washington St. product played 24 snaps in Chicago, approximately 32 percent of the defensive plays.

It was a by-product of what Smith-Wade has shown coaches since arriving as a fifth-round pick in April.

"Chau has continued to get better and better," defensive passing game coordinator Jonathan Cooley said on Thursday. "He's been a pleasure to coach. He shows toughness, he shows ability to cover. As he continues to develop, I think his ops will increase, and he's just got to be a star in his role, where he is now."

The "ops" have been there as well because of the hamstring injury to Dane Jackson. The corner, who the Panthers signed as a free agent this spring, began the season on injured reserve. The club traded for Mike Jackson from the Seattle Seahawks and he's started opposite Jaycee Horn, with Smith-Wade getting those snaps last week to add to the rotation.

Injury creates opportunity and while Jackson recovers (he is currently in the 21-day window to return to the active roster) guys like Smith-Wade are taking advantage.

"We've been able to see growth," Cooley said, "from some guys like Chau Smith, and Michael Jackson continues to prove week in and week out, Jaycee has been awesome, and I think with Dane coming back, it's just going to add an element of even more physicality. His energy is upbeat, and I think so. I just think it's going to make us better."

Ramblin' Man Derrick Brown back in the building

Even for those of us who work in words, there is no adequate way to describe the contraption Derrick Brown has been scooting around the Panthers facility this week. It's as if a scooter was crossed with an ATV and turned into a transformer. And like most things today, Jeff Bezos will sell you one if needed.

Brown ordered one for himself and had it sent to Bank of America Stadium so he could have the means to be around his teammates again after his season-ending meniscus injury. He's been a welcome addition, reintegrating himself into locker room card games and meetings, even on crutches.

"He's going to keep popping in and out. It all depends on his rehab schedule," defensive line coach Todd Wash said Thursday. "That's the most important thing right now is that he handles his rehab and gets better that way. If it fits into his schedule, like I said, he's been in there a couple of times already.

"We love to have him in the room. Just the type of man he is, the type of teammate he is. He adds a lot when he is in there."

While Brown may be back in the room now, he is not on the field. With Shy Tuttle missing Weeks 3 and 4 with a foot injury, the unit called upon guys like Nick Thurman, LaBryan Ray, and Jayden Peevy.

"I think the biggest thing is it allows some of our guys that were backup players to be able to go in and play a lot more snaps and really show us who they are," Wash noted. "I don't think there's any time that you can replace somebody like Derek. But at the same time, I like what we're at. The guys are getting better and better each week, which is the most important thing for us right now."

However, Wash does foresee changing how A'Shawn Robinson is used. The big defensive end played 95 percent of the snaps on Sunday against the Bears, the most significant percentage of snaps played in a game in his eight-year career. It could be better in terms of rotation to keep fresh legs, and Wash wants to avoid wearing Robinson out for long games in the future.

"Going forward, he's not going to get quite as many," Wash said. "He was not only on first and second down, but he was on third down last week.

"I think it's very important that I do a better job of getting a little bit more rotation up front, so we're staying fresh into the fourth quarter, and you'll see that going forward of getting a little bit more rotation with our five guys up front."

Checking on loved ones in Florida

Wide receiver and Tampa-native Diontae Johnson keeps checking his phone, looking for updates from his friends and family in Central Florida.

The good news is that his loved ones are safe after Hurricane Milton slammed ashore near Tampa Thursday morning. He did not escape unscathed, however, as he got a message that he's missing something.

"My boat's gone," he said after scrolling through a new batch of pictures from his home on Lake Keystone, near Odessa, Fla. (north of Tampa). "My assistant just sent me some pictures of my crib and my backyard, and he said my boat, it ain't in the back."

That's not ideal, but Johnson said he was relieved that his family — mostly living well inland — was safe.