CHARLOTTE — Last week, Dave Canales openly challenged his linebacker corps, calling for more urgency and better play.

"The time is now," he said last Wednesday of his message to the unit. "We have four games under our belt with different packages, playing against different styles of offenses, and that's the production and that's the urgency that's being communicated is, guys, we need better play here in different spots."

Against the Dolphins on Sunday, in a 27-24 win, the group answered the bell.

Christian Rozeboom led the Panthers with nine tackles, including one for loss, and Trevin Wallace had four. Rozeboom's nine tackles tied his previous season high in the win against the Falcons. The biggest difference, according to Canales, is the change the Panthers made with the unit heading into the game.

Through the first four weeks, Rozeboom had called the plays. He was a veteran who had played in Ejiro Evero's system before in Los Angeles, so when Josey Jewell was released, it made sense to give the elder player the green dot. But after four weeks of play, in an effort to shake things up and ease some pressure, Evero and linebacker coach Pete Hansen elected to make a change, having Wallace call the plays.

"It was a really interesting dynamic where Trevin felt really comfortable making the calls, and that was something that we asked him to do to take on that challenge, and Christian just looked like he was playing a little freer out there," noted Canales. "Running sideline to sideline making hits; all the things that we saw bringing him in here, and so flipping the roles, I thought really helped both guys settle into a comfort zone in a role."

Wallace had made the defensive calls before, doing so for a handful of games in his rookie season when Jewell was out. At the time, Wallace admittedly struggled as he learned to deliver calls succinctly and clearly in the huddle over his southern Georgia accent. It was something the Kentucky product worked on throughout his rookie season, when he would get the dot, and also during the offseason, as coaches routinely rotated which linebackers had the headset to give them all experience.

The result was a seamless defensive huddle on Sunday.

"Honestly, I mean, I think about the same," outside linebacker Nic Scourton responded when asked if he noticed any difference. "I mean, I didn't really see much of a difference. I think guys were just really prepared playing free. Guys were letting it loose this week."

To Canales' point, Rozeboom playing more freely without the green dot was noticeable to everyone involved on the field and sidelines.

"I felt like we were playing really hard. Like guys are really getting to the ball. Shout out to Rozeboom, man. He was playing his butt off," bragged Scourton. "He was to the ball every play, but I think it was just effort."

Even Rozeboom could tell during the game he was playing at a different level than he had been this season.

"I think every week's a different week, and for whatever reason I felt like I was kind of able to fly around yesterday and play free, kind of like you said, and I think the defense play free as a whole too, ready to go, and I think that showed," admitted Rozeboom on Monday.

"I just think everybody's flying around, kind of like what coach said, we were playing free and just getting everybody to the ball, and I think the game plan, coaches put us in good spots and we just made the plays."

There were a couple of contributing factors at play to the entire defense playing faster, in addition to Wallace taking on the green dot. One was leaving Wallace on the field in dime packages as well.

"We left Trevin out there a little bit more and got a really fast group out there, of guys that were aggressive in the run game and in the pass game," explained Canales.

Another was the continued tough play from safety Tre'von Moehrig, who teammates say plays like a front-seven member. Moehrig had seven tackles on Sunday, including three for loss, and is currently second on the team in tackles, with 36 total, trailing only Rozeboom, who has 37. Typically, if a safety is a top tackler, it means the front is letting playmakers get to the second level. But the Panthers have employed Moehrig in the box, providing a huge boost.

"Yeah, it's huge," said Rozeboom of the alignment. "He's a great tackler. He's around the ball every time he flies around, and I'm glad he's on my team. I'm glad I'm playing next to him for sure."

More than anything, though, the Panthers' defense and linebackers hit another gear against the Dolphins because they answered the challenge to play with more urgency. It led to a "freer" feel, a faster pace, and a trust that showed itself in a win.

"It's just like, you're not afraid to mess up, so you just, you go and make the plays that come to you, but you don't feel like you need to go make a play that you're not supposed to, and I think everybody kind of felt that," explained Rozeboom.

"And I think we've had some mistakes in the past few games when we did do that, so I think just trusting each other and letting the plays come to us that are supposed to come to us, I think it's just the belief, first off in my unit, the defense, and then the belief that the offense is going to score points and I guess that's really all there is to it."