A recent run amid a tumultuous season has Carolina just one game out of first place in the lowly NFC South.
Most NFL head coaches know that if they’re lucky enough to get a second (and likely final) chance at their dream job, the deck had better be stacked in their favor.
That’s not exactly how it went for Panthers interim coach Steve Wilks, who, after Sunday’s 30–24 win over the Seahawks (and the 49ers’ Brock Purdy–inspired blowout of the Buccaneers), has Carolina sitting at 5–8 with a 22% chance of reaching the playoffs, according to FiveThirtyEight.