The Jacksonville Jaguars were so bad in 2020 that they only managed to win one game that year. Their defense, in particular, couldn't stop opponents from reaching the end zone. To nobody's surprise, defensive coordinator Todd Wash was kicked to the curb after the season ended. He's since gone on to hold defensive line jobs the past few years. However, the Carolina Panthers just gave him a golden chance to boost his stock.
After losing to the Green Bay Packers on Thursday Night Football, Carolina dismissed defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero and made Wash his replacement on an interim basis. The move came as a bit of a surprise since the defense wasn't the reason the Panthers came crashing down.
Heck, Carolina did a good job of stymying the Packers' rushing attack, limiting them to a measly 66 yards rushing on 26 carries. It didn't matter, though. Evero was shown the door, and Wash will be tasked with getting the defense back on track.
The Panthers expect Todd Wash to steer the defense in the right direction but...
The Panthers might've made Ejiro Evero the scapegoat for their shortcomings this season. Although they had struggled to stop the run, the defense isn't the reason they're 3-4 after the loss to Green Bay. Then again, he wasn't free of fault either, as his 3-4 defense and soft coverage were routinely the source of frustration.
Either way, Evero is now gone, and Wash will have a golden chance to remove the interim tag from his job description if he turns things around.
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Why Todd Wash had success and later failed with the Jaguars
After being ousted in Duval, Todd Wash became the Detroit Lions' defensive line coach in 2021. Two years later, he got the same position with Carolina. Although he hasn't been remarkable, he was good enough to become the interim defensive coordinator. But if his stint with the Jaguars is a sign of things to come, the Panthers shouldn't get their hopes too high.
Wash was the defensive coordinator during the Sacksonville era from 2016-2019. However, once former general manager David Caldwell traded defensive mainstays such as cornerback Jalen Ramsey, defensive end Calais Campbell, and defensive end Yanick Ngakoue, Wash couldn't get his unit going. It also didn't help that Josh Hines-Allen had a knee injury that forced him to miss several games.
Sure, you could argue that he was dealt a bad hand, and you would be right. That said, he also failed to develop new talent. Quincy Williams, Taven Bryan, K'Lavon Chaisson, and C.J. Henderson flopped under his tutelage. Although Bryan is out of the league, the trio of Williams, Chaisson, and Henderson have gone on to flourish with other NFL teams.
Of course, it's possible that Todd Wash has improved as a coach since then, and now has a prime opportunity to prove he deserves to be a defensive coordinator on a full-time basis.
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