There’s quite a lot we can take away from this wacky 2022 Carolina Panthers season. But as for their victorious finale on Sunday, here’s what really stands out with the campaign coming to a close.
Now we know why Josh Norman was limited in Week 17
Carolina got off to a rough start in Week 18, as New Orleans needed all of eight plays and four minutes to put seven points on the board. And the man who took the big bumps on that opening drive was Norman.
After playing in just 10 defensive snaps last Sunday, Norman got the starting nod in the season finale. He’d proceed to, well, get torched on a pair of catches by rookie wideout Chris Olave—one a 7-yard gain on the second play of the game and the other a 25-yard touchdown.
Even though Norman and the rest of the defense tightened up to close this contest out—allowing just 72 second-half yards and zero points the rest of the way—we know why interim head coach Steve Wilks was skeptical about the 35-year-old in Tampa Bay.
Darn, Darnold
So he is human?
Darnold rolled into Week 18 on a relatively impressive five-game stretch—one where he helped orchestrate the NFL’s most efficient passing offense. The fifth-year veteran, additionally, boasted the most yards per attempt (9.2) and second-highest passer rating (105.4) amongst all quarterbacks with at least 50 throws.
But, uh, those numbers took a hit on Sunday. Darnold notched career-lows in completions (five), passing yards (43) and passer rating (2.8) while throwing his second and third interceptions of the campaign.
While it’s not completely fair to tie Darnold’s resurgent 2022 to just this one start, especially when it came against a white-hot defense, this was not the performance the 25-year-old could’ve wanted heading into free agency.
Your move, David Tepper
While his run didn’t end in an NFC South title, Wilks might’ve done enough to earn himself a shot as head coach in 2023.
The Panthers, for the first time in years, played inspiring and meaningful football under the Charlotte native. Wilks won over his players, the fans and six of his 12 outings—which is pretty impressive considering the circumstances.
That trial run ended today—with a close win over a division rival despite passing for just 32 yards. And now, with plenty of candidates possibly abound, owner David Tepper has a crucial decision to make.
