Pressing “reset,” picking up tempo in practice

Foreman said he liked how Wilks coached the team for the first 48 hours of his tenure.

“Nobody’s hanging their head down,” Foreman said. “Even though it’s a tough situation to have a coaching change in the middle of the season like that, he’s coming in and trying to do everything he can to prepare us the right way, keep us focused, keep our mind on the right track.

“I think guys are really buying into that, understanding that it’s just time to get better, and time to do the right thing. I just like the way he’s approaching the situation. He’s not letting anybody hang their heads. He’s pushing guys to handle their business, be more accountable, and do the right thing.”

There are 12 games left for the Panthers. Wilks’ “they’re not canceling our season” message from his opening press conference caught on in the locker room. Players harkened back to it when asked what brought about the intensity in Wilks’ first practice.

Take it from JJ Jansen, who has been at Carolina since 2009 and saw the transition between Ron Rivera and interim Perry Fewell with four games left in 2019.

Jansen said there’s the apparent difference in timing (Wilks is stepping in sooner in the season), but there’s also the reality of how much time the Panthers still have and how much they want to turn it around for their season, their teammates, themselves, and Wilks.

“I do feel like it’s a little bit of a reset,” Jansen said. “I think the team’s taking the approach (of) we’re 0-0, and the goal is to win one game this week. Coach Wilks is putting his stamp on the program. …

“I think there’s a lot of energy around, ‘Let’s win the first game, and let’s learn how coach Wilks wants things done.’ And (defensive play caller Al Holcomb), how does he want things done? We’ve all got to figure that out on the fly. Sometimes that newness is fun for players. That’s what I largely sensed today.”