Panthers, Patrick Jones II look to land the next ‘big one’  

JEFF HAWKINS | THE CHARLOTTE POST

Carolina Panthers linebacker Patrick Jones II is a newcomer to an evolving defense that helped rally them to a pair of wins in their last three games.

Lined up against Miami Dolphins guard Jonah Savaiinaea with 1:51 remaining in Sunday’s NFL game, Carolina Panthers outside linebacker Patrick Jones II anticipated the snap, created leverage with his left shoulder and raced past for a game-clinching sack.  

It was a big relief for Ejiro Evero, the embattled defensive coordinator.  

The new-look defensive front produced just two sacks through the first four games this season. Against the Dolphins, they registered three. Jones’ coup de grâce developed via a creative defensive deployment.  

Evero delivered four top edge rushers – Jones, D.J. Wonnum and rookies Nic Scourton and Princely Umanmielen – to flank converted nose tackle Derrick Brown. The Dolphins’ offensive line failed to handle the pressure as Jones recorded his first Panthers sack, capping the come-from-behind 27-24 victory. The Panthers (2-3) rallied from a 17-point deficit for just the third time in franchise history.   

“We just had to hunker down and execute,” Jones said. “We just knew it was time to go and get the quarterback.”  

After creating the sack on third-and-10 from the Miami 22, which forced the Dolphins into a white-flag punt, Jones rose and celebrated by pretending to cast a fishing line and reeling in “the big one.”  

Patrick Jones II: Spontaneous angler  

In this case, the “big one” was tackling Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa for a 7-yard loss.  

At other times – some say most of his extra time – Jones can be found fishing on his family’s property. As a teenager, Jones spent summers with his Grandma Carrie at their 70-acre spread in Wingate, S.C.  

Known to keep fishing gear in his car in case he locates an interesting spot, Jones boasted about deep-sea fishing for red snapper in the Gulf of Mexico and the salmon run in Hokkaido, Japan. Drafted by Minnesota in 2021, the spontaneous angler felt immediately at home entrenched in the Land of 10,000 Lakes. Jones generated 13 sacks in four seasons, including seven during a breakout 2024 campaign.  

Intrigued by his potential, Evero lauded Jones’ free agent signing last offseason. Inked to a two-year, $20 million deal, he was added, in part, to provide veteran leadership to Scourton and Umanmielen. 
Lake Norman proved to be an important negotiating tool for Panthers general manager Dan Morgan. Jones took time after a June organized team activities practice to reveal he was eager to investigate a host of local fishing holes.  

“(Fishing has) been good,” Jones said. “I found a little spot the other day, so we’re going to tap in and try to find some more spots.”  

Evero said Thursday he will continue searching for locations along the defensive line for Jones to strike. Last week, the spot came from inside of Umanmielen. Generally, he lines up on the edge. Will Evero again go with the unique lineup against the Dallas Cowboys (2-2-1) on Sunday?  

Evero did not reveal his hand.  

“Week to week, as we look at how we want to disrupt the quarterback, we always want to devise schematically how they block, how they protect (and) how do we attack their protections,” he said. “It’s not something that’s set in stone, a week-to-week thing. 

“We want to have that ability to have that element of surprise.”  

Pressure Cowboys’ Dak Prescott 

The Panthers’ defensive front required an infusion of talent, ranking 29th in sacks with 32 last season. The lack of pressure allowed opposing offenses to pick apart the injury-depleted defense, which yielded an NFL-high 404.5 yards per game.  

Jones was at the top of Evero’s wish list.  

“What we really liked is his diversity, his ability to rush outside and then rush inside on those known passing situations,” Evero said. “When you think about the intangibles. The way he is in the meeting room. He has his notebooks. He asks great questions.”  

Are there any answers for Dallas quarterback Dak Prescott? Ranked No. 1 in total offense and third in passing yards per game, the Cowboys, collected 17 offensive touchdowns in their opening five outings.   

“He’s obviously one of the best quarterbacks in the league and he’s been playing at high level for almost a decade now,” Evero said. “He’s on one of those rolls right now where when he gets hot, he’s as good as anybody and he’s on a roll right now.”    

Even with CeeDee Lamb (ankle) listed as questionable, Evero said he will continue to prepare for the Pro Bowl wide receiver so there are “no surprises.”  

What’s unsurprising is the effort it takes for opposing defenses to slow Prescott. The Cowboys’ offensive line yielded just seven sacks on 208 drop-back attempts through five starts. The 3.4 sack rate ranks fifth in the league and the extra time in the pocket has allowed Prescott to compile 1,356 passing yards, second-most among NFL QBs.  

After the Dolphins’ win, Jones said he remained optimistic that the low sack rate would be cast aside with the continued development of Scourton and Umanmielen and the chumming of unique schemes to take advantage of the defense’s diverse makeup. 

“We’re a new team,” Jones said. “Sometimes it takes a while to get the rush together, to get the flow of each other. That’s what we’re still doing. We’re not looking back; we’re looking forward every week.” 

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