It’s so damn easy to see why Steve Wilks has been called a “leader of men,” time and time again. And he continued to show why on Sunday.
Buy Panthers TicketsFollowing his team’s upset win over the Seattle Seahawks in Week 14, the Carolina Panthers interim head coach was asked if the triumph was an emotional one. Wilks went on to say it was, and credited that feel to the continuous and admirable effort from his players.
“I’m just so thrilled and so happy for those guys in the locker room. Coaches do a tremendous job in game planning and putting these guys in position. But all the credit goes to those players and how they go out there and perform and finish. And with everything that we’ve gone through, they’ve gone through with the different coaching changes, getting rid of players, the organization trying to tank it—all those different things. And to see how those guys respond and came out and played today, it is pretty thrilling and emotional, yes.”
By the time Week 7 began, the Panthers were sitting at 1-5 and had parted ways with former head coach Matt Rhule, running back Christian McCaffrey and wide receiver Robbie Anderson. Conventional wisdom would tell you that any team in that position could be set to pack it in—but not Wilks’ Panthers.
Since then, they’ve gone 4-3 and currently sit just one game back of the NFC South-leading Tampa Bay Buccaneers. With four games to go and a pretty tidy 3-1 record in the division, Carolina has plenty to fight for over this final stretch.
And whether or not this battle ends in an improbable playoff berth, it’s clear these guys have and will continue to fight for Wilks.
