CHARLOTTE — It's almost hard for Panthers defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero to draw any comparisons to the first Rams game.

Because in many ways, this is a completely different defense.

When the Panthers beat the Rams here on Nov. 30, they were without safety Tre'von Moehrig, who was suspended for the week for his unsportsmanlike conduct against the 49ers the week before.

Pro Bowl cornerback Jaycee Horn was also out that week, with a concussion in San Francisco as well, and rookie cornerback Corey Thornton wasn't there to replace him, after breaking his ankle in the 49ers game as well.

They were also without linebackers Christian Rozeboom and Claudin Cherelus, so it was a new collection of people, which impacted the strategy they could employ.

"When you go into this next game, and you have Jaycee back and Tre back and Boom back and Claud back, I mean, that's fantastic," Evero said. "So we look forward to that, but at the end of the day, they know our system, we know their system, and, not wanting to divulge too much, we've got to go play the stuff that we know is going to happen. And they're difficult concepts to play.

"The run concepts, the pass concepts, they're difficult to defend, but we've got to go up there and then fight against them, and then also, when we have those opportunities to make a play there with a new wrinkle, those things have got to show up."

The replacements were able to make plays throughout that game, from Nick Scotts interception that broke a long streak for Rams quarterback Matthew Stafford, to Mike Jackson's pick-six, to Derrick Brown's decisive sack-fumble that was recovered by D.J. Wonnum. It was what they had to have on that day.

But Evero's also not resting on that performance; he knows he can't from his time with Rams coach Sean McVay.

"That being said, we still feel like there's a lot that we left out there," Evero said. "We certainly feel like we can play better and perform better than we did on that day, and we're going to need to because this is a very good football team."

Complementary football crucial to facing Rams

When the Panthers beat the top-seeded Rams in Week 13, it was thanks to one of the most complementary games they played all season. The offense ran 62 plays, 40 of which were rushes (37 if you take away the three kneel downs) and 20 passes. The result was 358 total yards and 24 points from the offense (the defense added a pick six).

"You go back and especially in a week where we're playing a common opponent, you go back and watch our Rams game and how important the run game was for us, and just the sustaining drives, getting more opportunities, to call all the cool plays that we have listed on the sheet that the guys get excited about," shared offensive coordinator Brad Idzik.

The run game has admittedly taken a hit in recent weeks, however. After getting to the midway point of the season as one of the top rushing attacks in the league, the unit has dropped to 19th overall. Beginning with the Saints in Week 10, teams have focused in on the run game, trying to shut down Rico Dowdle and Chuba Hubbard. Carolina was able to respond in Week 11 with a dynamic passing attack, but that's not sustainable every week.

"We always say, it's all tied in together, so if one end of our production, whether it's the run game or the pass game is struggling to produce, when we're calling those plays, it's going to affect the other because then defenses can start to tee off on the other elements of what you're trying to do," Idzik said.

"So, for our run game, we got to get it going. That's been a huge thing we've been putting our thumb down on the last couple of weeks. We know we've taken a kind of step back from who we've been, and our guys are fired up to get after it, make sure that we establish the run game. Well, it's tough to get to those when you're only dealing with 50 snaps a game, so extending drives comes from the run game, making plays in the pass game."

Against the Bucs in Week 18, the Panthers had only 49 plays for the entire game, 14 on the ground, resulting in 19 rushing yards (there were two tackles for loss for negative three yards). It led to three possessions that ended in a punt.

But back to Week 13, and those 62 offensive plays, Carolina had seven drives that game. Two ended in punts, one was a field goal, and three were touchdown drives.

"That complimentary football was really brought to light the first time we played the Rams," continued Idzik.

"We made plays on third down, a couple of touchdowns on third and fourth down, and through the pass game, but then really the core of our identity was sustaining those drives through the run game, with a physical nature, so we look forward to getting back to that this week."

Field goal blocks unique for both teams

Both the Panthers' and the Rams' special teams units are coming into the playoffs having blocked field goals recently. It's a unique situation that requires every facet of the play to go correctly, from who is on the field to what sort of pressure is applied and how the snap is timed.

"Your field goal block team lives and dies by who shows up in the game and what type of defense you are," explained special teams coordinator Tracy Smith. "It kind of matches your aggressiveness, your style of defense. Your field goal block team always kind of has the same personality.

"Derrick Brown's a great guy to have on the field goal block team because of his every single play effort, so he always gets the guys going. So it's nice to have him this year as opposed to a year ago. We try to use whatever talents we have for the game."

For the Rams, who changed special teams coordinators just before their Week 17 matchup against the Falcons, it was mostly about placing one of their best players in the middle of the melee.

"Jared Verse was a swim in the C gap," Smith broke down. "He's extremely athletic. You have to be aware of him going straight forward and around you because he has both abilities.

"So his was that kind of play. His was a misdirection style block."

Panthers kicker Ryan Fitzgerald has only had one field goal attempt blocked this season. It was against the Saints in Week 10, a fluky play in which the ball didn't cross the line of scrimmage, and the Panthers recovered for a fresh set of downs.

On the other side of the ball, the Panthers have blocked one kick this season, in Week 18 against the Buccaneers. Rookie Cam Jackson was able to get his mitt up to negate the kick in a close game. The Panthers took the possession back downfield for a touchdown.

"It's great to see Cam up for the game and see him playing well on defense so that we can also use him that way," bragged Smith.

"Cam is a giant person, and he got in front of the ball with effort and extreme reach that he owns. So he put his hand up, and it happened to be in the right place."

One of the reasons Jackson was able to time the block so well was because of an entire season of Chau Smith-Wade making his presence known on tape.

"Chau pressured the kickers throughout the year," Smith explained. "He keeps their operation on time, if not a little faster than they want to go, because he has demonstrated that each kick, every game, he's going to be there. So they are always aware of him.

"So not so much touching the ball on that particular one, but he keeps the kicks fast as far as their timing and straight in the middle, walked right into Cam's hand on that particular one."

The Rams had two field goals and two extra points blocked earlier in the season, before switching from Joshua Karty to Harrison Mevis.