Inside the Numbers: Panthers at Rams Game Preview

Breaking down this week's matchup between Carolina and Los Angeles.

A new era of football in Carolina has arrived. After just two-plus seasons, the Panthers parted ways with head coach Matt Rhule earlier this week following a 37-15 thumping at the hand of the San Francisco 49ers. 

Team owner David Tepper had more than a few candidates on the coaching staff that were qualified to fill in as acting head coach, but there was only one true answer - Steve Wilks. 

The 53-year-old Charlotte native knows exactly what it takes for this organization to win. He has experienced both ends of the spectrum during his two stints with the Panthers and played a part in winning three consecutive NFC South division titles from 2013-15. His success as the defensive coordinator on Ron Rivera's staff afforded him the opportunity to be the head coach of the Arizona Cardinals in 2018. 

Wilks was dealt a bad hand with a poorly constructed roster in his first and only year on the job. The Cardinals fired him following a 3-13 season, despite rather low expectations. It was abundantly clear that he did not get a fair shake as the man in charge in Arizona, but it has turned into a blessing in disguise, allowing him to be in the position he is in today - leading his hometown team.

"I want to be a part in help turn this thing around," Wilks said in his press conference on Tuesday. "My history with this organization before is when we won three straight NFC South championships. I've been around here when it was good. We been to a Super Bowl. So to be able to get us back to that point is the reason why I wanted to accept and take this job."

Not only does Wilks want to turn this organization around but he believes they have the right guys on the roster and on the coaching staff for it to come to fruition.

"I feel like we have the talent in that locker room. We have the men that want to get it done. Our work ethic has been consistent from a standpoint of how we go about each and every day as far as practice. We just got to go out in the game and execute and finish.

"It's all about execution. When you go back and really evaluate our first five games and where we are, it's really a lack of execution in all three phases at some point in time. We've played well enough to win games, we just got to find a way to finish and that starts with me as well as the coaches."

So, can the coaching change help spark a turnaround in Week 6 against the defending Super Bowl champion Los Angeles Rams? Let's dive into the matchup. 

OFFENSE

Two months ago, the future in Carolina appeared to be rather bleak for quarterback P.J. Walker. In the offseason, the Panthers not only drafted Matt Corral in the third round but made a trade in early July for Baker Mayfield. All of a sudden, Walker went from being the backup to most likely being the fourth guy on the depth chart. There wasn't much he could do given the limited number of reps he was given in training camp to really prove his worth and if it weren't for Corral suffering a season-ending foot injury, Walker is probably on another team right now. 

In the final preseason game, Sam Darnold injured his foot, once again allowing P.J. Walker to hang around a little longer and slide into the backup role. Now, it's starting quarterback Baker Mayfield who is banged up with a high ankle sprain and if he is unable to go, which everyone assumes will be the case, Walker will be in line to make his third career NFL start.

"I thought about it for about a week," Walker said about the possibility of being cut. "It is what it is. I was still going to be able to go out there in preseason and play. Made the best of that. When I did get my reps in training camp, I made the best of those. It was a lot going through my mind because I feel like I can play. I was good enough to be a backup here but things happen and it's a business at the end of the day. I've just never stopped that approach of going out there and handling my business."

Going to work and handling his business is exactly what offensive coordinator Ben McAdoo admires about P.J. Walker. Because of his work ethic and resiliency, he has full confidence in No. 11 to get the job done.

"P.J., he's a ballplayer," said McAdoo. "He got a ton of reps in the offseason. In training camp, he was dealt a tough hand, right? We traded for a quarterback and we drafted a quarterback, so the reps were hard to come by. He's a gritty guy. He made a decision to fight through a tough situation and I think you're seeing that pay off now. I'm very confident in P.J. I know what I got in P.J."

As a matter of fact, Walker has the best winning percentage of the five starting quarterbacks under Matt Rhule, albeit two games. 

If Walker indeed gets the start, the team will likely elevate Jacob Eason from the practice squad to serve as his backup. If things really take a turn for the worse, the Panthers will be prepared for it and will have an emergency quarterback ready to go.

"We have a different couple things that we have cookin' there if need be," McAdoo said in regards to a third quarterback. "Some of them started in training camp and some of them kind of started working as the season went on. But you always have people you can go to and things you can draw from, so you maybe don't necessarily put it all on one guy."

Regardless of who is under center, the Panthers must establish the running game which is no easy task against one of the better run defenses in the league. The offensive line will have its hands full with the best interior d-lineman in the league, Aaron Donald, and one of the best pass rushers in the NFC, Leonard Floyd, who is still searching for his first sack of the season.

DEFENSE

Matt Rhule wasn't the only coach who had been relieved of his duties this week. Defensive coordinator Phil Snow and special teams assistant Ed Foley also lost their jobs. 

It wasn't all that surprising to see Snow leave, considering he will almost certainly follow Rhule to his next destination. Plus, Steve Wilks wants the defensive unit to take a step and in order for it to reach its full potential, they need to run a defense that aligns more with Wilks' philosophy which is why he promoted Al Holcomb to defensive coordinator. 

"Steve and I first came together in 2013 when I first came here to Carolina. I was a linebacker coach and we hit it off right away, Holcomb said. "Philosophically, we're in the same ballpark. How we coach the players, our attention to detail, how we prepare all of those things from a staffing standpoint, we just hit it off. Developed a great relationship inside the building and outside the building and then when he had the opportunity to go to Arizona, he kind of invited me to go with him and I took advantage of the opportunity. It's been a good journey. We've become pretty close."

Although Wilks and Holcomb will have their imprints all over the defense, they won't change much of what they're doing schematically.

"It's not so much really a difference. We're midseason. So the system we have in place is the system that we have in place and our players are comfortable within the system. So my job as the defensive coordinator is to make the players as comfortable as they can be so that they can play fast and execute at a high level."

What we may see, however, is a more simplified game plan that allows the players to play fast and get after the quarterback. Wilks' background is to be aggressive and force the quarterback to get the ball out quickly. He tends to send numbers and trust his corners to make plays in man coverage and with the depth the Panthers have at the position, they'll be able to play to his philosophy. 

As for Los Angeles, they're searching for answers themselves. They roll into this game sitting at 2-3 with an offense that has been scuffling, particularly on the ground. The Rams are averaging a league-worst 62.4 rushing yards per game. That's not going to win you many football games and it doesn't take to the identity of Sean McVay's offense. 

If the Rams don't overlook the Panthers, this is a chance for them to get right and Al Holcomb knows it.

"I see a really good football team. I know they've been dealing with some things up front particularly maybe with some injuries and things like that. But I see a team with a lot of really good skill players and a team that's going to be ready to play us.

"They're primarily a three wide receiver offense that runs the ball. The quarterback, [Matthew] Stafford is a really good player. Obviously, Cooper Kupp and what he's done has been outstanding. Tight end [Tyler Higbee]. So, they have a lot of weapons, they spread you out, they condense the formations, they can do different things with shifts and motions to get you looking in other places. We have our hands full."

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