The 2022 season has been one heck of a ride for the Carolina Panthers, and we’re not even halfway in yet! So, buckle up for what’s sure to be another intriguing weekend—as they travel down south in Week 8 to take on the Atlanta Falcons for a shot at the top.
Here are the top storylines for this (somehow) important matchup.
Walk that walk
PJ Walker already had a pretty cool story before 2022—going from a three-year practice squad player in Indianapolis, to an XFL standout and back to the NFL with his old college coach. But it’s gotten a lot cooler.
The 27-year-old was seemingly the odd man out heading into the season—as the Panthers were very likely set on carrying Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold and Matt Corral as their three quarterbacks on the 53-man roster. That, obviously, would’ve sent Walker back to a practice squad spot or even out of Carolina.
But opportunity arose. With Corral and Darnold sustaining long-term injuries during the preseason, he stuck on into Week 1 as Mayfield’s backup. Then after Mayfield went down with a high-ankle sprain of his own, Walker—in a thought so unimaginable just a few months ago—has picked up the last two starts under center.
He made the most out of his chance last week, orchestrating the most complete offensive performance the Panthers have seen all season in a shocking upset victory over the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. And now that he’s earned the starting job to go along with the respect from his teammates and coaching staff, can Walker keep writing more chapters to his improbable tale on Sunday?
The D'Onta Foreman Show?
Speaking of that shocking Week 7 upset win, the Carolina ground game threw Tampa Bay for a whirl. Even despite selling off star running back Christian McCaffrey less than 72 hours prior to the contest, the Panthers pounded a stout Bucs run defense for 173 yards and a touchdown.
That attack was led by the duo of D’Onta Foreman and Chuba Hubbard—who rushed for 118 and 63 yards, respectively. But with the latter being sidelined during practice this week, Week 8 is likely going to be the former’s time to really shine.
Foreman is no stranger to stepping up into a featured role, as he recorded 566 yards on 133 carries for the Tennessee Titans during Derrick Henry’s nine-game absence last season. So expect a heavy dose of the big back, especially against a mid Atlanta run defense that’s currently allowing 4.3 yards per attempt.
Is this real life?
Just one week ago, the 1-5 Panthers shipped away two of their top offensive weapons days before entering a presumed death sentence at the hands of the defending division champions. Well, things change—and they change quickly if you’re in 2022’s twisted version of the NFC South.
Following Tampa Bay’s Thursday night loss to the Baltimore Ravens, Carolina is now in a position to take first place with a win on Sunday. A victory in Week 8 would give the Panthers a 3-5 record and a tiebreaking 3-0 divisional mark—with wins over the Falcons, Buccaneers and New Orleans Saints.
Even if interim head coach Steve Wilks and company do pull this one out— there’s still, obviously, plenty of football left for this group to be decided. But for the Panthers to be in this spot, especially considering they were just on a one-way train to the 2023 draft’s No. 1 overall pick, is quite startling and—dare we say—perhaps a bit exciting.
