The Bucs have faced some of the league’s top quarterbacks this season. Each has proved to be a difficult test from the likes of Dak Prescott, Patrick Mahomes, and Aaron Rodgers.

Bucs DT Logan Hall and Packers QB Aaron Rodgers – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

This week, however, they are facing a guy that has made just three career starts and has two touchdowns to eight interceptions in P.J. Walker. Walker, the former XFL star, was announced by Panthers interim head coach Steve Wilks as the starter for Sunday’s Week 7 tilt between the two NFC South foes. 

Walker started his first game of the season last week and took a loss as the Panthers fell to the Rams 24-10. In that game, he was only 10-16 for 60 passing yards, unable to move the ball much against the opposing defense.

He will have just as tough of a time going up against a Bucs defense that has shown a knack for getting to the quarterback and stopping teams from scoring points, the Chiefs game aside.

Bucs ILB Devin White and DE Will Gholston and Panthers QB Sam Darnold – Photo by: Cliff Welch/PR

That is not to say the Bucs should brush off Walker completely. In 2019, he was part of the shortened XFL season as a member of the Houston Roughnecks and stole the show. Starting in five games, Walker completed 64.67% of his passes for 1,338 yards and had 15 touchdowns to 4 interceptions. 

While he led the league in both yards and touchdowns, he also led the Roughnecks to a 5-0 record. That XFL audition has led Walker to get chances to prove his worth at the NFL level. He has been a member of the Panthers since the 2020 season and is now getting a chance to play with both Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold being out for the time being.

Bucs Have Had Recent Success Against Panthers

Regardless of who has been under center for the Panthers, they have had a tough go of it against the Bucs. In the two contests they played against each other last season, the Bucs outscored the Panthers 73-23, which were both convincing Bucs wins. In 2020, the Bucs also swept the Panthers, outscoring them 77-40.

QB Sam Darnold – Photo by: USA Today

What is interesting about those losses is that Matt Rhule, their former head coach, is now gone after being fired just five games into the season. This will be Walker’s first time starting as an NFL quarterback without Rhule as a head coach, but their connection went even further. Both Rhule and Walker’s time at Temple overlapped completely between 2013-2016.

Together, they went 28-23 as a head coach-quarterback tandem, but now that tandem has been separated. Perhaps that proves to be a detriment to Walker’s confidence this Sunday not having the coach he has spent years under.

For the Bucs, if there were anytime to get “right” near the season’s halfway mark, it would be this week against a Panthers team in turmoil. Not only was Rhule fired after a 1-4 start, but at 1-5, things don’t look like they will be getting any brighter in the near future.

Looking to recover and bounce back from their 20-18 loss to the Steelers, the Bucs recovery may start against the Panthers with P.J. Walker at the helm.