As improbable as it may seem, the Carolina Panthers pulled off an upset to remember as they dismembered the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, 21-3, at home in Week 7 of the 2022 NFL season. This win put the Panthers in third place in the NFC South. Here we'll look at some takeaways from the Panthers' win in Week 7.
After a turbulent week, the Panthers won their second game of the season thanks to a solid rushing game. How ironic, right? And don't forget that they did it against Tom Brady no less.
The Panthers won their first game under interim coach Steve Wilks, who took over for Matt Rhule after the latter was sacked on October 10. Carolina rushed for 173 yards against Tampa Bay's defense. New RB1 D'Onta Foreman had the game of his life. He teamed up with Chuba Hubbard for a total of 181 rushing yards and a touchdown.
Keep in mind that the Panthers entered as heavy underdogs, having lost 12 of their previous 13 games. However, this win puts them just one game behind the Buccaneers and the Atlanta Falcons for first place in the NFC South.
Here are our four takeaways from the Carolina Panthers' Week 7 win vs. the Buccaneers.
4. Steve Wilks wins
Although this was a significant victory for interim head coach Steve Wilks, it was also a victory for his team. They surely battled hard for their coach. Not surprisingly, there was a new vibe and atmosphere in the Panthers locker room after the game. It was clear that this was a different squad than a few weeks before. It was clear that they'd entered a new era in Carolina.
Take note that Wilks' defensive game plan in this game was outstanding. The Panthers looked like the more well-prepared side, and there were no glaring play-calling miscues. For the first time since their Week 10 triumph over the Arizona Cardinals in 2021, the Panthers looked the part of winners. They played with structure and confidence.
Needless to say, if Wilks can keep this up, we might not have to preface his role with the term “interim” for very long.
3. The Panthers offensive line is stout
It took quite some time for this team's offensive line to come together, but they looked like they just did in this game. After years and years of mixing and matching, the Panthers finally have a functional o-line. It's something that the Panthers have not had for a very long time, so this was a very welcome sign.
Take note that they defeated one of the league's most skilled defenses. Carolina's offensive line constantly opened up throwing spaces and rushing lanes. They also allowed only one sack of quarterback PJ Walker and helped boost the ground game to a net of 173 yards.
Even more amazing is that they accomplished this with a new starting center, Bradley Bozeman. With incumbent starter Pat Elflein out with a hip injury, the free-agent Bozeman stepped in brilliantly. He and the rest of the o-line showed that this bunch has some great depth and chemistry. Panthers fans surely hope they can be consistent with the kind of effort and impact they delivered in this win.
2. Is PJ Walker the QB of choice now?
Panthers QB PJ Walker is not the most dependable quarterback on the team. That was evident in last week's defeat to the Los Angeles Rams. That was when offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo used a short lead on Walker as he finished with zero completions beyond the line of scrimmage.
Today was a different story, though. Wilks and McAdoo let Walker go off, and he rewarded their faith in him by putting up maybe the best game in his young NFL career.
When the smoke cleared on the Panthers' upset win, Walker had completed 17-of-22 passes for 177 yards. He also had two touchdowns and no interceptions. Perhaps more importantly, more than a handful (6) of his 17 completions actually went past the line of scrimmage.
Walker, of course, stepped in to take over as both Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold were saddled with ankle issues. Following the win, coach Wilks stated that Walker may actually start again next Sunday against the Falcons. We'll see whether that holds true, especially if Mayfield and Darnold both get cleared this week.
Regardless, though, Walker looks like a legitimately dependable starting QB. I mean, he just outplayed the GOAT, right?
1. Foreman time, baby!
The Panthers traded star running back Christian McCaffrey to the San Francisco 49ers less than three days before this game in a startling and unexpected move. Then, in yet another shocking and unexpected move, backups D'Onta Foreman and Chuba Hubbard stepped up magnificently to help the Panthers upset the Bucs.
Foreman, in particular, shone bright like a diamond. He had a lion's share of the carries, gaining 118 yards on 15 tries. The majority of that production came on a 60-yard run in the third quarter, which actually set up Hubbard for a 17-yard touchdown run on the next play.
D’Onta Foreman gets the Panthers into the red zone with a 60 yard run…
Chuba punches it into the endzone.
Is this the greatest RB committee of all time? pic.twitter.com/SeT64iJ2X2
— NFL Fantasy Football (@NFLFantasy) October 23, 2022
Speaking of Hubbard, he finished with 63 yards on nine attempts and two grabs for 10 yards. Not too shabby for both Foreman and Hubbard as they punished one of the NFL's best run defenses.
Moving forward, Foreman is the likely choice to continue as RB1. The 26-year-old looks ready to roll, and it seems like as long as he gets enough carries, he can be a triple-digit backfield threat for the Panthers. It's Foreman time in Charlotte!
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