5 Carolina Panthers on the hot seat in Week 10 vs. Falcons

P.J. Walker – Carolina Panthers QB

There was so much hope centered around P.J. Walker heading into Week 9. His second-half showing against the Atlanta Falcons should have been enough for the Carolina Panthers to come away with a win and move to the NFC South summit, but what transpired at the Cincinnati Bengals got out of hand quickly and the signal-caller didn’t take the field after the break.

Walker mustered just nine passing yards, was intercepted twice and earned the unwanted distinction of a 0.0 passer rating from a pathetic afternoon under center. Although it was probably tempting to reinstall Baker Mayfield into the lineup, interim head coach Steve Wilks is giving the former Temple star one more opportunity to make a better go of things in primetime.

Getting off to a fast start is of critical importance for Walker. With Mayfield chomping at the bit and Sam Darnold also officially activated from injured/reserve, another poor performance could be the last we see of the one-time XFL MVP frontrunner.

Dealing with adversity is nothing new for Walker. He was the forgotten man in training camp before a series of unfortunate injuries thrust him into the limelight, so there’s every chance he bounces back against a Falcons secondary susceptible to quarterbacks that get the football downfield quickly.

Walker must focus on what’s in front of him rather than looking back. That’s the only way he can get back to the player we saw thrive in Weeks 7 and 8.