In chess, you want to be able to control the board as efficiently as possible. Using a single piece to create multiple outcomes requires strategy, thinking several moves ahead, and a willingness to take risks.
When defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero crafts schemes for the Carolina Panthers defense, deciding how to attack, entice, and confuse the opponent, Moehrig is often at the nucleus of it all.
“He’s a very, very, very unique chess piece,” emphasized Evero this week of Moehrig. “The ability to play safety, the ability to play linebacker, the ability to play nickel, play outside backer in some of our packages. We’ve placed him all over the place.”
When Moehrig was signed from the Raiders this offseason, there was the hope he could become this linchpin in the Panthers’ defense. It’s one of the reasons it was so vital to bring him in, and after seeing how the Raiders found success using Moehrig in the box so much last season, there was the belief he could do it here as well.
But since arriving, he’s gone beyond just being a box safety. Moehrig is one of just 11 defenders this season to log at least 50 snaps aligned at the line of scrimmage, linebacker, slot cornerback, and safety. Carolina uses him to disguise blitzes (he has 2.0 sacks this year and a career high in pressures), snuff out screens, make stops in the run game, and drop back deep into coverage, which is how he nabbed his interception in Week 9.