4 ongoing positives for the Carolina Panthers under Steve Wilks
By Dean Jones
Carolina Panthers are winning in the trenches
Steve Wilks is an old-school man who’s part of the Carolina Panthers fabric. He also knows what’s made this team so successful throughout franchise history.
One noticeable quote synonymous with Wilks during his time as interim head coach is “it all starts up front”. This centers on winning individual battles in the trenches, which Carolina is managing extremely efficiently since the respected figure took charge.
The offensive line has been among the league’s most-improved units in 2022. Some impressive acquisitions in free agency and the draft are bearing fruit right now and providing an extension can be worked out with starting center Bradley Bozeman, the Panthers’ protection is only going to blossom further in the coming years.
This trench warfare mentality is also coming across on defense. The Panthers are making things difficult for any opposing offense in recent weeks, which stems from improved gap discipline and making turnover opportunities count.
Carolina now has an exuberance and physicality that’s hard not to love. Wilks will put all the credit on the players, but the former Arizona Cardinals head coach deserves substantial plaudits for turning the Panthers into a forceful trench team on both sides of the football.
Again, this has been seldom seen over the last three years. And to say it’s been refreshing would be a major understatement.