CHARLOTTE — Every defender that has faced Kyler Murray before has their own version of the story.

For Panthers outside linebacker Patrick Jones II, it was a Week 13 matchup last season, when his Vikings were hosting the Cardinals. Murray was trying to lead his team to a miracle win on the last drive. Facing third-and-13 from his own 27-yard line, Murray dropped back, looking for a receiver deep.

But Jones beat his man, getting to Murray in 2.3 seconds, wrapping his arm around the quarterback's shoulders for what would've been a game-ending sack.

Jones had him, the sack was in the bag…until he looked up and saw the dual-threat QB rushing 11 yards away.

"He ducked underneath me, and it was just one of those things like bro, he's so elusive," laughed Jones this week, recalling the humbling play. "He goes one way in the pocket, then he bounces out the other way."

Murray was still brought down behind the line of scrimmage and threw an interception on the next play to officially end the game and give Jones' team the win. But it was a valuable lesson in playing Kyler Murray.

"He's like a magician back there," Jones continued. "He does all types of stuff, running around.

A'Shawn Robinson and Christian Rozeboom faced Murray several times as former fellow NFC West opponents, and Robinson last season in a Panthers overtime win. They've seen enough of those elusive maneuvers to last a lifetime.

"He extends plays, probably like nobody else in the league, just his quickness is second to none," explained Rozeboom, shaking his head at the thought. "He's definitely, he's faster than you think he is, for sure."

"He's a great quarterback," echoed Robinson. "He does well to evade pressure, has a sense for getting out of that and escaping that, and still getting the ball down the field, so just got to be on our stuff and communicate everything we're doing up front and have everything down."

D.J. Wonnum, who has played the NFC opponent a couple of times, first while with the Vikings, then last year with the Panthers, has learned the same lesson.

"I think it was my second or third year. I actually did have him. I think I got him with a finger or something," Wonnum said, chuckling at the somewhat randomness of the sack. "And then last year was kind of weird because I got him at the end of the game. I grabbed his jersey like just enough, and he spun out and fell down."

Jaycee Horn saw Murray up close last season, in the Panthers' Week 16 win. Carolina sacked Murray three times that day (one from Wonnum, one from Robinson, and one from Jacoby Windmon), but he also broke away for 63 yards on eight rushes.

"Whenever you see a dynamic QB like him that has a good arm, makes the throws, and probably one of the fastest people on the field, you know, it's tough times for a defense," recalled Horn. "It's one of the weeks you got to be tuned in on your keys and all your techniques because, you know, he can extend plays and make plays on the run."

So what is the key to bringing him down all the way, leaving no question as to the sack, or chance for the former No. 1 overall pick and Heisman winner a chance to pull a Houdini act? It takes full effort from each one of them, rushing together.

"You've got to bring your feet and wrap him up because if you don't, I mean, obviously, he's going to get out of there. So, just try to keep him in one area, and when we get to him, wrapping him up and taking him to the ground is the key," said Wonnum.

Added Jones: "It's really just about rushing not as four individuals but as one, and I feel like when we all come together and rush in the unit, y'all going to see what we could do…he's very gifted, so it's going to take all rushing as one for sure."

While Wonnum and Jones are going to have first crack at Murray as pass-rushers, the second he breaks contain out of the pocket, everyone on the field has to turn their head. It's a unique challenge, trying to remain on assignment while keeping one eye on the backfield. Every quarterback can run to some extent. But a quarterback like Murray presents that threat the entire game.

It can be exhausting if a team isn't prepared. But after facing Murray and the Cardinals in recent seasons, the Panthers feel they know what to expect.

"You got to cover your guy twice," explained Horn. "It's the same story, like I said, you run into these dynamic QBs, you've got to cover down twice and make sure you guard your man all the way through the play.

"When (Murray) passes the line of scrimmage, and our job in the back end is to cover so we never leave our work until he become a true runner and pass the line of scrimmage. So before that, you just need to stay attached to your man."

And that will be the assignment from back to front.

"I got to do my job," preached Robinson. "I got the man in front of me. If I don't defeat the man in front of me, I'm looking at him, I'm never going to get there anyway. So I got to beat what's in front of me and know that my brothers are going to beat what's in front of them and get to our spots."

If Murray makes it to the second level and becomes the linebackers' target, Rozeboom wants to see a swarm of tacklers, not providing any crease through which Murray could escape.

"It's a lot about rush integrity. So, when I'm part of that, that's on me; when the D-lines are part of that, that's on them, and coverage rush lanes. And so it's all of us on board every time.

"I think swarming at the end of the day. He's going to make some guys miss, and you can never really plan on him going down, so you have to run until the whistle blows, so just swarming together."

But it all starts up front. D.J. Wonnum knows that, and he's faced Kyler Murray enough times to know it's easier said than done. Not containing him, though, isn't an option.

"Just his ability to get out of the pocket, run around, scramble around, move around, his athleticism, you think you got him contained and you really don't, so this week, we've got to do our best to kind of keep him in one area or flush to where we want him to go."