By Terrance Turner
Oct. 23, 2022
Carolina Panthers quarterback P.J. Walker had a breakout game today in Charlotte. Walker started his second straight game after Baker Mayfield was ruled out with an ankle injury. (According to NFL, Mayfield has an ankle injury and could miss two to six weeks.) The Panthers pulled off an upset today, beating Tom Brady and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
The game was scoreless for nearly the entire first half. But with 29 seconds left, Walker threw a 20-yard touchdown to wide receiver D.J. Moore. And Moore had to time his steps perfectly to catch the bullet pass from Walker in the back of the end zone to give Carolina a 7-0 lead.
With three minutes to go in the third quarter, Panthers running back Chuba Hubbard rushed seventeen yards for the touchdown. Carolina went up two scores. Tampa Bay continued to struggle offensively. Tom Brady was 32-of-49 for 290 yards, but the Bucs converted just 2-of-12 third downs and failed to convert a couple of fourth down tries in the second half of the game.
Buccaneers kicker Ryan Succop managed a 27-yard field goal. But the Panthers responded again. Walker led a seven-play, 75-yard drive that culminated in a 29-yard touchdown pass to tight end Tommy Tremble. So Tremble caught the touchdown…on National Tight Ends Day.
The Panthers won 21-3 at Bank of America Stadium to improve to 2-5. It comes after a tumultuous week for the team. Carolina traded running back Christian McCaffrey to San Francisco on Friday. That trade happened just four days after the team traded wide receiver Robbie Anderson to the Cardinals. (Anderson got into a heated argument with receivers coach Joe Dailey and was sent to the locker room in last Sunday’s loss to the Rams. And he was traded the next day.)
Walker was 16-of-22 for 177 yards and two touchdowns. The game marks a breakthrough of sorts for Walker, who entered the NFL in 2020. He was a star in the XFL, playing QB for the Houston Roughnecks. Walker led Houston to a flawless 5 0 record. The Roughnecks were undefeated when the league shut down due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Walker met with reporters after the game. He said the locker room mood was buoyant after the win. “It felt really good. It felt really exciting in that locker room,” he said. “All smiles. The joy was amazing.”
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