5 huge positives from Carolina Panthers dominant Week 7 win vs. Bucs

P.J. Walker was outstanding for the Carolina Panthers

You’d be forgiven for not expecting much from P.J. Walker in this game. On the evidence of the Carolina Panthers’ clash with the Los Angeles Rams in Week 6, that speculation was completely justified.

A week ago we saw Walker completely shackled by the coaching staff, given a basic game plan which usually meant the ball ended up in the hands of Christian McCaffrey. Of the 10 passes he completed, just one was caught past the line of scrimmage – a clear indication it seemed that the coaching staff had little to no trust in their signal-caller.

However, with McCaffrey now on the San Francisco 49ers, we saw offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo open up the playbook and put more on the former Temple star. This was evident from the first play of the game, dialing up a deep shot that Walker put on a rope to Terrace Marshal Jr., but the LSU product couldn’t haul it in.

Following this drop, Walker went on to complete 11 straight passes including a dime to D.J. Moore for his second touchdown of the season. It’s a credit to his character that he bounced back after the dismal offensive display in Week 6.

It’s a valid argument that now McCaffrey is no longer around, the offense will look more balanced as the quarterback will be more inclined to spread the ball around. Reports are that both Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold could be available in Week 8, but Steve Wilks has already stated Walker will remain under center.