Victory Friday takeaways: Panthers’ Steve Wilks dishes on open-ended QB situation, injuries
Carolina Panthers interim head coach Steve Wilks isn’t ready to commit to a starting quarterback.
Wilks — who guided the Panthers to a 25-15 win over the Atlanta Falcons on Thursday — said that PJ Walker, as of Friday, was his starting quarterback against the Baltimore Ravens in Week 11. However, Wilks also hedged by adding that he will need to review the Ravens’ defense to make any final decisions on the position.
“As I stand here today, PJ will be the starter,” Wilks said. “I still want to take the weekend to assess, really as I get into the Ravens, and just start to game plan and figure out what’s the best opportunity for us as (the) Panthers. We’ll continue to evaluate the quarterback position. I’ll meet with those guys on Monday, and give those guys clarity as we move forward.”
Walker has started the first five games of Wilks’ interim tenure. The Panthers are 2-3 during that time frame, as they’ve largely leaned on a powerful running game.
Against the Falcons, Walker completed 10 of 16 passes for 108 yards. While he protected the ball from turnovers against Atlanta, the former practice-squad passer hasn’t lit up the box score during the past two weeks. In fact, just four days before he led the Panthers on five scoring drives against Atlanta, Walker was benched at halftime of an embarrassing blowout loss to the Cincinnati Bengals.
Despite Walker’s inconsistency, Wilks said he wants to evaluate the quarterback room based on his opponent and not necessarily the starter’s performance.
“I think, it’s really more or less, what I’m looking at from a standpoint of Baltimore,” Wilks said. “And what they’re doing from a scheme standpoint, and what I feel like is going to be our best game plan to beat those guys. So, when evaluating that and trying to make a decision, that’s when I would come back and say ‘What do we need to do at the quarterback position?’”
Former starting quarterback Sam Darnold was activated from injured reserve on Monday, giving Wilks three options at the position. Baker Mayfield, who started the first five games of the season, has been Walker’s backup quarterback for the past three weeks after recovering from an ankle injury.
With Darnold in the mix, and Mayfield holding a clipboard, Wilks could eventually shake things up if he doesn’t get what he wants from Walker.
“Exactly where we are right now at that position, it’s still an ongoing process, where you have to evaluate certain things,” Wilks said. “Would you like to have someone that’s definitely your number one guy that you can commit to? Of course, but I think we have three good options, and I want to make sure that I put this team in the best position to be successful.”
Two big injuries on defense
The Panthers’ defense sustained two major injuries against the Falcons. Cornerback Donte Jackson (Achilles) and defensive tackle Matt Ioannidis (calf) both left the game with leg injuries.
According to Wilks, Jackson and Ioannidis were both undergoing MRIs on Friday. Ioannidis was seen using crutches with a walking boot in the locker room after the win against Atlanta.
Following the game, defensive end Brian Burns said he was concerned about the severity of Jackson’s injury. But Wilks refused to speculate before receiving the MRI results for the cornerback.
“I know it’s an Achilles, and I’m just going to wait and see what the MRI says,” Wilks said.
If Ioannidis were to miss time, he would likely be replaced in the defensive tackle rotation by the trio of Bravvion Roy, Daviyon Nixon and rookie Marquan McCall. Jackson would be replaced by the combination of C.J. Henderson and Keith Taylor.
UPDATE (9:37 p.m.): The Panthers received bad news from Jackson’s MRI. According to a league source, Jackson’s MRI revealed a torn Achilles, and he will miss the remainder of the 2022 campaign. It’s now on Henderson and Taylor to step up in his place, opposite Jaycee Horn.
Johnny Hekker is a weapon
Following the win against Atlanta, Wilks was effusive in his praise of the special teams group. Wilks brought up how the Panthers were routinely in control of field positioning because of the punting prowess of Johnny Hekker and the coverage unit.
“He’s been a big weapon for us,” Wilks said about Hekker.
Hekker has averaged 49.1 yards per punt this season. Of his 50 attempts, 21 have been downed within the opponent’s 20-yard line. But according to Wilks, Hekker is more than just a special punter. He’s also a strong locker room leader.
“To be quite honest, he’s been a big addition to our team,” Wilks said. “A guy that’s a veteran guy, he’s coming off a Super Bowl — so he’s bringing a lot of experience. There are a lot of things that I see as a coach that you guys may not see with what he brings to the locker room.”
Along with Hekker, Wilks gave a big shout out to hybrid defender Sam Franklin. The special teams ace has collected 10 special teams tackles through 10 games, according to Pro Football Reference, and he’s been a standout in punt and kickoff coverage.
Quick Hits
▪ Wilks noted that linebacker Frankie Luvu had a big bounce back game from his disappointing performance against the Bengals in Week 9. Luvu had 12 tackles and 2 sacks against Atlanta.
▪ Following the game, Mayfield was captured giving offensive linemen headbutts in celebration. Mayfield wasn’t wearing a helmet but the linemen were, which caused a bit of a stir on social media regarding head injuries. Wilks commended Mayfield for his competitiveness and personality in reference to the celebration. Wilks has continually praised Mayfield’s work as a teammate since being named a backup.
▪ When asked if he plans to add to his coaching staff in the wake of a pair of firings earlier this week, Wilks said he had spoken to some coaches but didn’t have immediate plans to make any hires. He said he needed to speak with general manager Scott Fitterer before any hires happen.
▪ Wilks, a West Charlotte High grad, wore a West Charlotte Mighty Lions shirt to his virtual press conference with reporters. He also started his press conference by wishing servicemen and women a happy Veteran’s Day.
This story was originally published November 11, 2022 at 2:04 PM.
