BY NICK ST. DENIS
The Carolina Panthers are going from one Ryan brother to the next, and this time around, they hope they have better luck.
Carolina lost for the first time in two months last week against the New Orleans Saints and Rob Ryan's defense. This week, the Panthers will take on Rob's brother, Rex, and the New York Jets.
Panthers head coach Ron Rivera expects some similar looks to last week from the Jets' defense, though he's plenty aware of the inevitable differences.
"Yes, very much so. I see a lot of comparisons in the things that they do," Rivera told the New York media Wednesday, via NewYorkJets.com. "Their schemes are similar, but again, they each have their own personalities. They’ll do things the way that they think is right."
Rex called upon his brother for some hints on defending the Panthers' offense following the Saints' decisive win last Sunday. The brothers have maintained that dialogue all season long regarding similar opponents.
"I talked to him right after the game, whatever time that was. I talked to him the next day," Rex said Wednesday. "So anything that you can pick up, you’re going to try to see how it would fit what you do.
"Now, we’re not going to change our scheme or something like that, but we may look at some things that maybe some tips or anything like that."
The Saints' and Jets' defenses' strengths lie in different places, as the Jets boast the league's best run defense but have gotten torn up through the air, while the Saints are giving up the fourth-most yards per carry in the NFL but are among the league's best against the pass.
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