Lea: Will Panthers' deficiencies cost Wilks the head coaching job?
Posted December 18, 2022 4:48 p.m. EST
Updated December 19, 2022 7:37 a.m. EST
Before North Carolina was home to an NFL team, this state was full of Dallas, Pittsburgh and Washington fans. Today at 'The Bank' (Bank of America Stadium), Pittsburgh fans dominated and seemed to outnumber Carolina Panthers fans.
"Protect the Bank".
Since Steve Wilks took over as interim head coach, the Carolina Panthers have been undefeated at home, reeling off wins against the Buccaneers, Falcons and Broncos.
Today, that streak came to an abrupt halt with the Steelers winning 24-16.
Those home wins came mostly because the Panthers were able to control the line of scrimmage and run the ball. D'Onta Foreman ranked fourth among NFL running backs since week seven with 600 rushing yards, but the Steelers had the answer for that, giving the Panthers a taste of their own medicine.
The Panthers had a season-low 21 rushing yards, the fourth-fewest in team history.
This was the type of game where it was painfully obvious what's missing: a dynamic play-maker like Christian McCaffrey to keep the Steelers defense on their heels is one.
With cornerbacks CJ Henderson nursing an ankle injury during the game and Donte Jackson out for the season, the Panthers had to rely on Keith Taylor who often gave up the big play. Secondary help is another obvious absence.
Lastly, run-stopping. The Panthers gave up 156 yards on the ground. The Steelers rank in the top half of the league in rushing yards per game. The Panthers defense is middle of the pack in allowing rushing yards. Plus, big, powerful backs like Najee Harris has given this defense troubles this season.
Will the missing links cost Wilks a head coaching job?
Many Panthers fans believe Wilks should be the coach of the future for this franchise. But he took over a team with deficiencies with a 1-4 record in week 6. Ten weeks later, Wilks has led this team to a 4-5 record under his watch, which may not be enough to convince owner David Tepper that he's the man for the job.
After all, Tepper said Wilks could get the job if he did an 'incredible' job. but what qualifies as incredible? 4-5 may not cut it, but there are three games left to play. Losing this game hurts the Panthers playoff hopes, but doesn't totally eliminate them. However they will need to win out and get some help in the form of losing from their NFC South rivals to make it.
That would be 'incredible' if the Panthers were to make it to the postseason in most folks eyes. Tepper is the key.
