Chris Tabor on 1st win as interim HC: I couldn’t be more proud
Ever since stepping into the role of interim head coach for the Carolina Panthers, Chris Tabor has stressed the importance of having fun. Well, some fun was certainly, and finally, had this afternoon.
Week 15 brought the Panthers’ just their second triumph of the season, as Tabor’s crew walked off on the Atlanta Falcons to the tune of a 9-7 win. Appropriately enough, the wet and windy conditions made Sunday a dream scenario for the longtime special teams coordinator, who spoke about the resolve of his crew after the game.
“It was fun,” Tabor replied. “We talked about it all week. We talked about it right in here, startin’ on Wednesday of what the day was gonna look like. From everything—the weather, the wind, how we were gonna have to play the game. And at the end, we just kept sayin’, ‘We are gonna win this game.’ And that’s what they did. Any time you have a 17-play drive at the end of the game to get a walk-off field goal, I think that says something about your kids and your guys. So, I couldn’t be more proud of ’em.”
Rookie quarterback Bryce Young orchestrated a sound 17-play, 90-yard drive to get the Panthers on the doorstep of victory for kicker Eddy Piñeiro. And Piñeiro, who was perfect on the day, came through with his third field goal of the contest and his second game-winning boot of the campaign.
Now, moving forward, Tabor is sure to stress of the importance of making plays when they matter—something his guys did in his first win at the helm.
“The thing that I saw today, that you can’t argue with, is that there were plays that needed to be made and they made the plays,” he later added. “So you can say, ‘Hey, did they take a step?’ And based on that game, I’m gonna say they are. So now next week, that’s the standard. And now, can we move it forward and push it forward?”
No. 0: LB Brian Burns
(Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
Share this
image
gallery
No. 3: RB Raheem Blackshear
(Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
Share this
image
gallery
No. 4: K Eddy Piñeiro
(Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports)
Share this
image
gallery
No. 6: RB Miles Sanders
(Brett Davis-USA TODAY Sports)
Share this
image
gallery
No. 8: CB Jaycee Horn
(AP Photo/Brian Westerholt)
Share this
image
gallery
No. 9: QB Bryce Young
(Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
Share this
image
gallery
No. 10: P Johnny Hekker
(AP Photo/Brian Westerholt)
Share this
image
gallery
No. 11: WR Ihmir Smith-Marsette
(Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports)
Share this
image
gallery
No. 13: CB Troy Hill
(Eakin Howard/Getty Images)
Share this
image
gallery
No. 14: QB Andy Dalton
(Steph Chambers/Getty Images)
Share this
image
gallery
No. 15: WR Jonathan Mingo
(Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
Share this
image
gallery
No. 17: WR DJ Chark
(Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports)
Share this
image
gallery
No. 19: WR Adam Thielen
(Sarah Stier/Getty Images)
Share this
image
gallery
No. 20: CB Shaquill Griffin
(Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports)
Share this
image
gallery
No. 21: S Jeremy Chinn
(Winslow Townson/AP Images for Panini)
Share this
image
gallery
No. 22: S Jammie Robinson
(Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
Share this
image
gallery
No. 23: CB CJ Henderson
(Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports)
Share this
image
gallery
No. 24: S Vonn Bell
(Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports)
Share this
image
gallery
No. 25: S Xavier Woods
(Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports)
Share this
image
gallery
No. 26: CB Donte Jackson
(AP Photo/Brian Westerholt)
Share this
image
gallery
No. 27: S Alex Cook
(Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports)
Share this
image
gallery
No. 29: CB D'Shawn Jamison (Practice squad elevation)
(Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports)
Share this
image
gallery
No. 30: RB Chuba Hubbard
(AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman)
Share this
image
gallery
No. 33: LB Tae Davis
(Silas Walker/Getty Images)
Share this
image
gallery
No. 40: LB Deion Jones
(Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports)
Share this
image
gallery
No. 42: S Sam Franklin Jr.
(AP Photo/Rusty Jones)
Share this
image
gallery
No. 44: LS JJ Jansen
(Rich Barnes-USA TODAY Sports)
Share this
image
gallery
No. 46: LB Eku Leota
(Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports)
Share this
image
gallery
No. 49: LB Frankie Luvu
(Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports)
Share this
image
gallery
No. 52: LB DJ Johnson
(Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
Share this
image
gallery
No. 54: LB Kamu Grugier-Hill
(Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports)
Share this
image
gallery
No. 56: C Bradley Bozeman
(AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman)
Share this
image
gallery
No. 61: OT Ricky Lee
(Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports)
Share this
image
gallery
No. 66: G Nash Jensen
(Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports)
Share this
image
gallery
No. 68: G Cade Mays
(Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports)
Share this
image
gallery
No. 71: DL Chris Wormley
(Joe Sargent/Getty Images)
Share this
image
gallery
No. 72: OT Taylor Moton
(Winslow Townson/AP Images for Panini)
Share this
image
gallery
No. 74: OT David Sharpe
(AP Photo/Terrance Williams)
Share this
image
gallery
No. 79: OT Ikem Ekwonu
(AP Photo/Brian Westerholt)
Share this
image
gallery
No. 80: TE Ian Thomas
(AP Photo/Jacob Kupferman)
Share this
image
gallery
No. 82: TE Tommy Tremble
(Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports)
Share this
image
gallery
No. 84: TE Stephen Sullivan
(AP Photo/Brian Westerholt)
Share this
image
gallery
No. 86: WR Mike Strachan
(The Indianapolis Star)
Share this
image
gallery
No. 88: WR Terrace Marshall Jr.
(Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports)
Share this
image
gallery
No. 90: OLB Amaré Barno
(AP Photo/Charles Krupa)
Share this
image
gallery
No. 91: DL Nick Thurman
(Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports)
Share this
image
gallery
No. 93: DL LaBryan Ray
(Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports)
Share this
image
gallery
No. 95: DL Derrick Brown
(Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports)
Share this
image
gallery
No. 96: DL DeShawn Williams
(Eakin Howard/Getty Images)
Share this
image
gallery
No. 97: OLB Yetur Gross-Matos
(AP Photo/Brian Westerholt)
Share this
image
gallery
No. 98: LB Marquis Haynes Sr.
(AP Photo/Brian Westerholt)
Share this
image
gallery
NFL: Preseason-New York Jets at Carolina Panthers
(Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports)
Share this
image
gallery
G Gabe Jackson
(Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports)
Share this
image
gallery
OL J.D. DiRenzo
(Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports)
Share this
image
gallery