4 former players and coaches the Carolina Panthers have desperately missed in 2023

Carlina Panthers dropped the ball with Steve Wilks

Steve Wilks had two stints with the Carolina Panthers. I think his second one is what some fans miss.

He came to the Panthers from 2012 to 2014 as the team's defensive backs coach before adding the title of assistant head coach to his job responsibilities. Making a few other stops, he returned to Carolina in 2022 as the team's passing game coordinator and secondary coach.

When Matt Rhule was fired after a 1-4 start, Wilks was made the interim head coach. He galvanized a demoralized squad and led the team to a respectable 6-6 finish.

He interviewed for the permanent position, but that ultimately went to Frank Reich. During Wilks' tenure as interim, the Panthers pivoted to being more of a power-running team, and it worked.

The team rushed for at least 150 yards a whopping seven times. Carolina rushed for a franchise record 320 yards in Week 16 versus the Detroit Lions. They were hard-nosed and a reflection on their head coach - something that hasn't been displayed much before or since.

The Panthers players responded well to Wilks. Many established figures who were on the roster in 2022 are still here. If given a full offseason with the team, he would have put a much more competent product on the field than what we've seen in 2023.

But David Tepper had other ideas, to his detriment.