Kony Ealy lost his starting job, but his new role may be a spark the Carolina Panthers' defensive line has been looking for.
The third-year defensive end is still stuck on zero sacks in 2016, a stat that looked even worse after his teammates racked up eight — the second-most in franchise history Sunday against the Cardinals. As football folks will often tell you, though, sacks can be a misleading stat.
"He didn't get a sack, but some of the pressures he added on," coach Ron Rivera said Wednesday. "Some of his rush in terms of getting the quarterback off his spot, which really seemed to help — that's what we're looking for from him. And to do it consistently.
"I think Kony played the role the way we needed."
That role included coming off the bench behind Charles Johnson while Wes Horton slid into Ealy's starting spot on the right side. It was a change coaches committed to during the bye week when they noticed that Ealy plays better on the left side.
"I could play anywhere on the line," Ealy said. "I feel like we have a lot of guys that could play anywhere on the line. But I'm the kind of guy to say, 'Hey, if coach needs me to play on the left, or if he wants me to play in the middle, then that's what I'm going to do.' Because at the end of the day, he sees something that I may not."
While sacks are often overrated, they're something the Panthers will eventually need from Ealy. The good news is what time of year it is. Including the postseason, 11 of his 12 career sacks have come after October.
It's unclear why Ealy, who sealed Sunday's win with a fourth-quarter interception, is potentially a late-season bloomer. But as he showed while dominating the Broncos in the Super Bowl, once he gets going, he's tough to stop.
"I feel like I put too much on myself as far as expectations," Ealy said. "Expectations should always be high, but just thinking too much instead of just going out like I did last year before I got to the Super Bowl — still when I went to the Super Bowl — and just reacting.
"Stressing too much about little things, was a big thing for me this first six games of the season. Now my mentality is just to go."
For a lot of us, this move kind of seems a no brainer. Perhaps the coaches (and many of us fans) were so fixated on the fact that Kony should be starting, as to assume he’d just have to play on the right opposite CJ. The way he took off last year when CJ was on short-term IR, playing on the left, and Allen on the right… definitely made me hope we’d find some way to get him playing on the left. If Kony is willing to share playing time with CJ, this could be just what the team has needed. I’m happy giving Mario more playing time too, and Wes Horton is solid. I’m very glad we brought him back. (Hmmm…. maybe all our anguish about letting Lavar Edwards go was for naught. Maybe our coaches and staff DID have a good plan…. time will tell.)
All cogent points Karen B: Sean McDermott should be praised for being one of the coaches that adapts.
So…. a lot of words to say Ealy can’t hold on to a starting role.
Not necessarily… Just that he’s better on the left. He started on the left last year when CJ was injured and played well.
Kony could be the LDE starter after CJ retires. But, for now if splitting plays between them works, keeps them both fresh, and Horton & Addison can play the right, I’m all for it! Whatever works and leads to solid pressure up front.
I remember shortly before leaving Peppers made a switch like this on the line. It may not hurt to put CJ on the right some; shake up some of the offenses game planning.