Playing like a smooth criminal: Mike Jackson owns the best PFF coverage grade among qualified defenders since Week 7.
The Panthers’ defense is jelling in Dave Canales’ second season: Carolina has displayed signs of growth, especially against tremendous passing attacks.
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The Los Angeles Rams entered Charlotte’s Bank of America Stadium at 9-2 and virtually the consensus No. 1 team in the NFL. Sean McVay’s bunch appeared to have few if any weaknesses and may have been on a collision course with a winning streak spanning the end of February.
That is, until the team met the Carolina Panthers on Sunday. Carolina pulled off a stunning 31-28 upset in a back-and-forth thriller. Perhaps it’s not a coincidence that cornerback Mike Jackson was in the thick of the action yet again.
Jackson was tremendous in coverage for Carolina — facing arguably the league’s deadliest passing attack, no less. The 28-year-old was targeted six times but permitted only two catches for 35 yards while dealing with potentially the game’s best receiver duo in Puka Nacua and Davante Adams. Matthew Stafford’s most notable try against Jackson came in the second quarter, where the corner blanketed Nacua — a difficult player to box out — in cloud coverage and ran back an interception 48 yards for a touchdown.
All told, Jackson helped limit Stafford, Nacua and Adams to -0.198 EPA per pass, the Rams’ second-worst passing mark all season. To accomplish that feat without Jaycee Horn, Tre’von Moehrig and multiple linebackers is that much more impressive.
While Horn and his five interceptions tend to capture attention for the Panthers, Jackson has arguably been the steadier player this season, at least in coverage. He’s recorded a 68.5 PFF coverage grade or better in eight of 13 contests this year, including a tentative 89.9 mark against the Rams in Week 13. That figure would be his best since Week 15 of 2023.
Jackson has been particularly lockdown since the middle of the season. Indeed, from Week 7 onward, Jackson’s 90.1 PFF coverage grade is the best among any defender with 200 or more coverage snaps. In that stretch, the former Seahawk has relinquished just 12 catches on 33 targets for 109 yards. He’s also forced six incompletions and churned out a 31.0 passer rating when targeted.
The play of someone like Jackson underscores what’s been a markedly better defensive campaign for Carolina. The team’s investments in players like Moehrig and Nic Scourton has paid off, aligning with the return of top talent Derrick Brown along the interior. Consider the improvement Ejiro Evero’s unit has realized at this point in 2025 compared to a year ago.
Metric2024 Rank2025 RankEPA/play31st25thSuccess Rate30th16thYards/play29th24thExplosive Plays Allowed30th14thEPA/pass31st23rdPFF Coverage Grade26th18th
The Panthers are definitely in need of more growth, particularly rushing the passer and against the run — as evidenced by the Rams averaging 7.2 net yards per rush in Week 13. But consider that Carolina owns a top-10 PFF coverage grade since Week 7, including fourth among secondaries. That stretch of little separation given up has overlapped with difficult assignments in teams like the Rams, 49ers, Packers and Bills, too.
Now sitting at 7-6, Carolina is still alive in the NFC South race — although the Panthers own just a 22% chance to reach the playoffs, according to PFF Power Rankings. While Dave Canales’ squad is difficult to understand on a week-to-week basis, what’s undeniable is progress being made, with the organization already staking its most wins in a full year since 2022.
As the Panthers look to continue ascending and identify foundational pieces around Bryce Young, Tetairoa McMillan, Brown and others, they can be confident they already have one that fits like a glimmering glove in Jackson.