Listen to the oblivion the Carolina Panthers sent the Tampa Bay Buccaneers into after winning 21-3 on Sunday at Bank of America Stadium.
“We are going to see what we’re made of. How many people can handle adversity? It’s about as dark as it’s going to be right now,” Bucs head coach Todd Bowles said. “We are going to see what we have going forward. See how many people crumble when it’s dark and see how many people step up and start playing better.
The Panthers’ 18-point victory was the largest loss of Tom Brady’s 23-year career when he was a touchdown favorite or more. Carolina ran all over the Buccaneers, gaining 173 yards on 27 carries (6.4 yards per carry) while quarterback PJ Walker outdueled the quarterback he watched beat his hometown Eagles in Super Bowl XXXIX.
That was in 2005. Walker was a fourth-grader. On Sunday, the 27-year-old Walker shook Brady’s hand at midfield after leading the Panthers to an inexplicable victory. The Washington Post called the Panthers’ win “the low point” of Brady’s Tampa Bay tenure.
These are dark times for Tampa Bay. Last week it was even darker for Carolina. The team traded away the face of its franchise on Thursday. Three days before Christian McCaffrey joined the 49ers, the Panthers dealt Robbie Anderson to Arizona. Prior to Sunday, McCaffrey and Anderson accounted for 46 of the team’s 97 receptions (47%).
Nothing about the past two weeks has been normal for interim coach Steve Wilks and the Panthers. Yet somehow, Wilks inspired Carolina to “make the jump,” a phrase he emphasized all week.
After the game, Wilks addressed the outside claims of a tanking franchise.
“I am extremely proud of the men in that locker room. They continue to impress me,” Wilks said. “That definitely was not a team out there who was trying to tank. ... These men have too much character to even fathom tanking.”
The men in the Panthers’ locker room are proud of Wilks. Both Walker and team captain Shaq Thompson mentioned their excitement for Wilks, who is a beloved son of Charlotte and earned his first NFL head coaching victory since Dec. 2, 2018.
After the game, Wilks presented a game ball to Walker. Then before celebrations began, owner David Tepper presented Wilks with a game ball.
As the man most responsible for the state of the Panthers, Tepper demonstrated authenticity, self-awareness and leadership in what will be one of the 2022 Panthers’ most memorable moments.
Wilks, Walker, a punishing offensive line, and a suffocating defense led Carolina to the year’s most shocking win.
Emotions aside, there are several things we learned about the Panthers on Sunday. Here is what those revelations mean.
What No. 1 overall pick?
With remaining games against the Falcons, Lions, Steelers, Broncos and Saints, the Panthers are no longer favored to land the No. 1 overall pick.
Before Sunday, Football Outsiders gave Carolina a 42% chance of picking first in the 2023 NFL Draft. That mark was six times higher than the Bears (2-4), Broncos (2-5), Jaguars (2-5), Saints (2-5), Texans (1-4), Saints (2-5) and Lions (1-5).
Football Outsiders’ new model is not available until later this week but Carolina likely will not be favored to pick first.
That’s OK. In fact, for a franchise trying to establish a new identity, winning should be preferred. Victories build culture. Winning teaches younger players how to be professional not just on Sundays but most importantly during the day-in-and-day-out grind of a weekly NFL season.
The Panthers are laying a foundation for the next head coach and quarterback, whether that combo is already inside the facility or not.
PJ Walker should start versus Atlanta
Some thought Walker earned the Week 8 starting job at halftime by completing 11 of 12 passes for 125 yards and a touchdown.
Then Walker held on to beat Brady. Wilks said his quarterback’s fourth-quarter corner end-zone throw to Tommy Tremble was an impressive ball.
Think about that. While sharing a field with Brady, the game’s best two throws came via Walker. The 21-yard strike to Tremble put Carolina up three scores and essentially ended the game with nine minutes to play.
But Walker’s 20-yard missile to DJ Moore before halftime inspired a Michael Jackson “Thriller” meme.
Speaking of Moore, welcome back. The three-time 1,100 yard receiver was on pace for career lows in catches, receptions and touchdowns before Sunday. Against the Bucs, Moore caught seven passes for 69 yards and a score. His 10 targets were three times more than any other Panthers option.
Despite reports that quarterbacks Sam Darnold and Baker Mayfield both could return next week against Atlanta, Walker demonstrated why he should remain the team’s starting quarterback. He finished with 173 yards on 16-of-22 passing. Most importantly, he smoothly executed Wilks’ game plan and did not turn the ball over.
“PJ had an outstanding performance,” Wilks said. “When you look at what he did today, we still have to evaluate the tape, but it’s gonna be hard to try to pull him out.”
Panthers defense was more lucky than brilliant
This game should’ve started differently. Bucs receiver Mike Evans dropped what would’ve been a 64-yard score on the game’s third play. Evans beat cornerback Donte Jackson on a post route. He tracked Brady’s pass for what felt like minutes, only to drop the easy score.
After the game, Evans said he “saw the life go out of us.” following his bad drop. According to Next Gen Stats, the nearest defender to Evans when the ball hit his hand was 10.9 yards away. It was the most wide-open drop of the season.
But Carolina responded by not allowing a touchdown for the next 58 minutes of play despite the Bucs running 66 plays compared to the Panthers’ 50 offensive snaps.
Carolina’s defense held the Buccaneers to 2-of-12 on third down and 1-of-3 on fourth down. Tampa Bay ran 23 third-quarter plays and gained 124 yards, but was held scoreless.
“We played a full four quarters.” linebacker Shaq Thompson said. “The defense held Tom Brady and that explosive offense to three points. They had 238 yards rushing, and were 2-for-12 on third down. That’s a huge win for defense.”
Thompson said newly appointed defensive coordinator Al Holcomb called a brilliant game, especially on third down.
First place on the line
Shockingly, sole possession of the NFC South could be on the line when Carolina faces the Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium this week.
If Tampa Bay loses to the Ravens on Thursday and Carolina beats Atlanta, the Panthers would sit atop the division.
The Panthers (2-5) are seeking their first back-to-back Victory Mondays since last September.
