The Panthers were adamant before the trade deadline that defensive end Brian Burns wasn’t going anywhere, and he’s showing why he’s viewed as an important building block in Carolina.
Burns was named the NFC defensive player of the week for his excellent performance in Sunday’s win over the Broncos.
With two sacks and a forced fumble, Burns was an easy choice. he was the only player in the NFL with multiple sacks and a forced fumble in Week 12.
The Broncos’ pathetic offensive performance was the primary story coming out of Sunday’s game, with renewed scrutiny on Russell Wilson and Nathaniel Hackett’s failures in their first year in Denver. But there’s also a positive story to be told from that game, about a Panthers team that is still playing hard in a rocky season, and Burns is leading the way.