Chris Tabor issues Carolina Panthers rallying cry
This is not an easy situation for interim head coach Chris Tabor. The special teams coordinator was thrust into a prominent leadership position after the Carolina Panthers fired Frank Reich, which didn't bring an immediate turnaround in fortunes last weekend during a close-fought loss against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Tabor was in a reflective mood during his Monday press availability. Instead of wallowing in self-pity, the coach challenged his players to do their job effectively and show some fight over the Panthers' remaining five games based on comments via Carolina's website.
"As I said, you can handle things two ways, either with character or compromise. I believe in those guys in, in that room. If you're going to be a pro, you're going to do things, right? And I just, I know that we have to hold him to that, to that level, and I know that they'll respond to that because that's who they are. I know this is a business; I got it. But just as you guys have a job to do, I would assume that your job is fun and that you enjoy going to work. Mine has to be the same way, and I think that's just how you approach it."Chris Tabor via Panthers.com
Steve Wilks didn't win his first game as an interim before going on a pretty decent run in the circumstances. There was a lot more fighting in his team than this one - a riddle that Tabor must solve before facing an uncertain future of his own.