When the Panthers fired Matt Rhule after a 1-4 start to the season, there wasn’t much talk about the team competing for the playoffs but things look a lot different as this week gets underway.
Sunday’s win over the Seahawks moved the Panthers to 4-4 under interim head coach Steve Wilks and the Panthers will be the NFC South champions if they can win their final four games of the season. They’ve done that while shuffling quarterbacks and trading running back Christian McCaffrey, which speaks highly of the way that Wilks has been able to reach the team.
After the win in Seattle, Wilks said he “couldn’t be more proud of the men in that locker room” while linebacker Shaq Thompson pushed a rave review back in Wilks’ direction.
“We ride behind Wilks,” Thompson said, via Darin Gantt of the team’s website. “He came in here, he’s a true alpha, he’s a true leader, and guys follow behind him. He’s done amazing. Look what we’ve been going through.”
When Wilks was named the interim head coach, Panthers owner David Tepper said Wilks could remain with the team if he did an “incredible job” but didn’t define exactly what that meant. Winning the division would likely qualify, but Thompson’s comments suggest that the locker room might offer a full endorsement even if their winning streak doesn’t extend that long.
