4 changes making a big difference for Panthers under Steve Wilks

Carolina Panthers have creativity on offense

One massive disappointment over the first five weeks of 2022 was the distinct lack of creativity on offense. Ben McAdoo‘s scheme was bland, predictable, and something opposing defenses figured out quickly – resulting in almost no consistent production before Matt Rhule was removed.

Now that the former Baylor man isn’t overseeing every aspect of the operation, McAdoo is going about his business impressively. There is a clear strategy to his game plan, which starts with a power run game and evolves with increased pre-snap motions and putting his primary playmakers in the best position to thrive.

Aside from their Week 9 outing at the Cincinnati Bengals, it’s been a remarkable change on offense under Steve Wilks compared to what fans were forced to stomach under Rhule. Again, this speaks to the professionalism and trust the interim appointment has where McAdoo is concerned.

There is now offensive urgency that simply wasn’t there previously. Carolina’s system is well-balanced, hard to figure out, and improving gradually in key areas such as red-zone and third-down efficiency.

Whether this will be enough for McAdoo or Wilks to get a longer-term commitment from team owner David Tepper is unclear. But the Panthers are an exciting franchise to watch at long last, which is the biggest positive of all given all the doom and gloom that surrounded Rhule almost from the moment he arrived on a $62 million deal from Baylor.