Another win for the Carolina Panthers has only given us additional affirmation about Steve Wilks’ team. They come prepared, they come willing to fight and they come with the “Keep Pounding” mantra in mind.
Week 14’s impressive triumph over the Seattle Seahawks moved the Panthers to a 5-8 record on the season as well as within one game of the NFC South lead. It also moved them to 4-4 under their interim head coach—which, despite some bumps and bruises along the way, is a far cry from the 1-4 squad that began this 2022 campaign.
This is a welcomed change from what we last saw from former head coach Matt Rhule, where the team often appeared defeated and unmotivated with a game plan that proved stubborn and unoriginal. The micromanaging coaching style of Rhule really clashes with what we have seen from Wilks— who has his players buying in, his coaches adding valuable input and his ability to mix it all paying immediate dividends.
Where Rhule strayed away from the physical style of football and trusting his players, Wilks has made it an integral part of his approach—placing faith in his guys to execute a tough and hard-nosed attack on both sides of the ball.
Wilks, who has grown within the organization, perfectly embodies what is needed for the Panthers. He was there when the team was at its most successful and is clearly deploying those ideals to a team that has been in a losing slump for half a decade now.
If he can do the improbable and lead what was once a buried team to the playoffs, he most certainly should be the next head coach. And even if he doesn’t, it would be foolish not to give him some serious consideration for the job.
