CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- Carolina Panthers defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero was in an unusually upbeat mood recently as he began his weekly press conference, smiling more than usual throughout.
Asked if his demeanor had anything to do with finally getting outside linebacker D.J. Wonnum and other key players back from injury, the 43-year-old coach laughed and said, "Has to do with resting over the bye week to get some sleep.''
Evero had plenty of sleepless nights during the Panthers' 1-7 start, trying to piece together his 3-4 defense that was decimated by injuries. He'll likely have a few more this week, trying to figure out how to stop NFL rushing leader Saquon Barkley (1,499 yards) and the Philadelphia Eagles on Sunday (1 p.m. ET, Fox).
But he has never complained or made excuses, even though the horrid early numbers looked damaging to his chances of become a head coach after two straight years of being a hot candidate.
He's stayed true to the next-man-up mentality, even though the drop-off has been significant.
It's the consistency of his messaging that impressed rookie NFL head coach Dave Canales the most and should make Evero a head-coaching candidate again this offseason.
"It's echoing all through the building,'' Canales said. "It's just the fundamentals and not backing off of those things. If we can keep the principles the same and our messaging simple, then the guys have something that they can really grasp onto.''
That paid off over the past month.
First came a fourth-quarter stop against the New Orleans Saints in Week 9 to secure a 23-22 victory. Then came the debut of Wonnum, who had multiple setbacks from quadriceps surgery after signing as a free agent to play opposite Pro Bowler Jadeveon Clowney, in a 20-17 overtime victory over the New York Giants.
Then came a season-high five sacks in a last-second 30-27 loss to the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs, followed by four sacks in a 26-23 overtime loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
While the defensive improvement hasn't been as well-publicized as the improvement shown by quarterback Bryce Young, it has shown why the Atlanta Falcons, Seattle Seahawks and Panthers interviewed Evero for their head-coaching vacancies during the past two offseasons.
It's also shown why Carolina general manager Dan Morgan was insistent on keeping Evero and his defensive staff intact when he hired Canales.
"Ejiro is one of the best coaches and people I've been around,'' said a league source familiar with Evero. "Consistent every day in his message, approach and delivery, regardless of circumstances.
"People who know football and understand some of the situations he is facing will give him a much deserved opportunity.''
Many players continue to play hard during seasons like this -- Carolina (3-9) is guaranteed a seventh straight losing season -- because their future employment is on the line.
It's the same with coaches.
"We're all competitors,'' said Evero, who had a top-10 defense in yards allowed as the coordinator for Denver in 2022 and Carolina in 2023. "We want to have success. But we really want it for the players, because you witness the work that they put in behind the scenes.''
Carolina players have seen the work Evero has put in without top players such as Pro Bowl defensive lineman Derrick Brown (knee) and middle linebacker Shaq Thompson (Achilles), who were lost for the season in the first two games. They've seen the benefits the past three games since Wonnun returned.
During that three-game stretch, the Panthers rank 18th in points allowed per game (24.3), down 8.2 points from their league-worst average the previous nine games.
Opposing quarterback passer ratings are down from 111.2 to 80.7. Sacks are up from 1.1 per game to 3.6, ranking 10th in the NFL during that span.
"He's got a brilliant mind, so getting more pieces back, we can see the progress that's been made,'' offensive guard Robert Hunt said.
Said Clowney: "Next year, when we get [Brown] healthy, I feel like we'll be ready to compete at a high level. You can see it unfolding right now.''
The question may be whether it fully unfolds with Evero. Teams look beyond struggles on one side of the ball or the other when evaluating head-coaching candidates.
Chicago Bears interim head coach Thomas Brown is evidence of that. He began last season as Carolina's offensive coordinator with then-head coach Frank Reich calling plays. He was promoted to playcaller after the Panthers' 0-6 start but had those duties stripped after three games.
That didn't stop the Bears from hiring him as their pass game coordinator or from promoting him to head coach after firing Matt Eberflus last week.
So Evero's future hasn't necessarily taken a step back because of the Panthers' struggles this season. And he has a chance to make a statement at Philadelphia if he can find a way to slow Barkley and the high-scoring Eagles (26.7 PPG).
That's a tall task, since the one area the Panthers haven't improved is rush defense. They've allowed a league-worst 189.3 yards the past three games, further evidence of how much Derrick Brown is missed.
"At the end of the day he's human,'' Wonnum said of Barkley. "We don't look at him as no machine. We've got to hit him, take him to the ground.''
Wonnum exemplifies the attitude and spirit Evero brings and wants to build around.
"We know it hasn't been easy,'' Evero said of the season. "We know there's been a lot of adversity, but there hasn't been finger pointing, there hasn't been the blame game. Everybody's stayed committed to just doing a job and getting better.''