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I think he's been trying to prove a point and also allowing it to play out in case his team owners were right. Also, by listening to him, he doesn't give up on people and wants to keep at it until there's a breakthrough. And I think that it's come to that undeniable spot, the lynchpin of the entire exercise. This team would be playoff bound without a doubt with a QB that had been in the top 24 of the league. Not top 4, not top 10, not even top 20... but a QB that was barely better than the bottom quarter of the league as a passer. He's given everything here and we had that moment against Atlanta where Bryce shined in a desperately dark moment. But this week showed that he can't push the rock over the finish line. He just can't compete at the level needed. Canales got the defensive performance he needs as a HC to win and we've seen Evero get that out there (surprisingly) on a number of occasions this season. And Canales called his own plays against SF, called a pass heavy game like he did in Tampa and Seattle. That's his bread and butter. Bryce couldn't bake the bread, though. It's as simple as that. We have the rest of the team pretty much. We've got a good receiving corps (I'd think given better passing). We have a better o-line than we're given credit for had the QB behind them been braver, taller and more decisive. We have an excellent running backs group. Our defense is strong on the back end, needs linebackers and a better rush, but it's marginally okay and sometimes surprisingly effective. Got a first class rookie kicker and a solid punter. If you evaluate the team and put just a marginally, even average QB in the mix and we'd be two to three games ahead of where we are now. So the math is simple. The only question remains: draft QB and start at square one again, or has Canales got his next QB reclamation project already in mind?

Here we go.

Pretty obvious people on mint wanted Bryce to have a big performance on prime time.

And I agree and it’s no secret I want Bryce to succeed and think he can in a better situation but yah… I think with the way things are playing out in Vegas there’s a good chance the Raiders blow it up again and take the hit on Geno (18.5 million in dead money) and cut him If Geno becomes available I’d imagine Canales jumps at that

Hmmm... not a good start. Maybe I'm reading too much into this but after the guy who has been carrying your offense expresses frustration with his sudden lack of use and your HC just blows it off and confirms they haven't even talked, your PR team decides to use the guy who should be his backup as their poster boy hyping this week's game? Yikes. Hard not to interpret that as another slap in the face.

For some reason this is becoming a disturbing trend in the NFL. Teams are shutting down one part of their offense without causation from the opposition. Shane Steichen did it an overtime loss against Kansas City last week with the best back in the NFL. Pete Carroll allowed Chip Kelly to completely abandon the run game against Dallas the week before he was fired in Oakland as the OC. Matt Lafleur abandoned the pass instead choosing to rely on a bottled up run game when we clearly were having issues with the passing game. Big brain play callers some of them HCs are what the league wanted along with high powered offense and these dudes are making some of the dumbest situational calls I've ever seen. At least most of them are young and can learn, Canales included. I remember Norv Turner trying to throw the ball around the yard in a certain SuperBOWL, going in at halftime down 13-6. Emmitt Smith said get me the d*mn ball and took over in the 2nd half. Remember Kyle Shanahan in the 2nd half vs. the Patriots? This shite happens to the best and the brightest. We are just actively seeing it play out in real time just like Atlanta and Dallas fans before us. Also, not saying Canales is going to become either of those, just begging/hoping for our sanity he gets his shite together if he's going to be our HC.

Yeah, early on

Busted plays happen all the time in the NFL. Your QB is supposed to be able to recognize them and adjust on the fly. Bryce had the option to throw into traffic or beat 1 man with a blocker in front to the end zone for a score. Easy call. Run for the score. Sure. Tremble ran the wrong route. The point is, Bryce should have never thrown the damn ball.

That's totally fair. I think it's impossible to talk about the mess that is the offense without looking at its QB. But you are right that there's mental errors. I think that when our margin is as thin as it is, those errors are more obvious than otherwise.... For instance even in the Rams blowout win, there were receivers clearly running the wrong routes given Stafford's expression after some of his misses. I DO think that Canales should consider giving up play calling to focus on game planning and preparation. I think we often have solid designs etc, execution just falls flat.

We have more than ine problem. Reality isnt binary. One Problem is that Bryce Young cant run a passing offense. Another problem is that Canales cant or wont see the obvious.

Dave IMO does know what he wants to be......it's the coaching tree and offense he has been part of his entire career. He can't do that And so you got a weak coach from that philosophy trying to make it without the required QB. And the QB in that offense, basically is someone that makes up and overcomes the actual offenses aren't actually good by design. To an extent is is run the ball and have your QB make some aggressive plays downfield. Dave is in no man's land. You can't run to setup the 5 yarder.

No way. People that support Bryce are entrenched and rabid. It isn’t the same level of commitment. You can be equally annoyed but those two groups are not equally invested. I have or had other valid reasons for not wanting Canales prematurely fired. We have had a revolving door of coordinators, GMs, HCs for too long and I think we are seeing the benefits of continuity in the development of some of these younger players and the draft process that acquires them. I am really not a big personal fan of Canales. I was never a fan of getting an Offensive minded flavor of the week coach whether it was Canales or any other trendy play caller pick. I also think I understand how huge the job is and know his experience level makes it a given that there will be frequent missteps. I made a policy of way more patience than I naturally possess in the case of Morgan and Canales. But I am not riding Canales to the bottom while blaming he doesn’t have this or that. I have felt that I would like to see him get another QB before folding on him, because I wouldn’t wish Bryce on anybody. At the same time some poo is wearing thin.

Yeah, it's just not for me. The whole screaming hot takes version of sports media is just incredibly played out. It's lazy and boring and I don't know why anyone is still tuning into it.

The Rusty Rifle was never a plan B, he was a friend on the sidelines for Bryce. I also think somehow this organization was completely fooled by the end of last year and the PFF metrics etc. which is an indictment in its own right. Either way it's time to move on...

I don’t want this to turn into another Bryce Young thread so I’ll keep it about the offense as a whole and it’s a damn mess. It was even uglier with Dalton behind center To have this many mental errors this far into the season falls on coaching. We as a team lack consistency because our HC/play calling has zero consistency himself

This. He’s a new(er) coach and he’s got the worst QB in the league to work with. We have far less of a coaching problem than we do QB problem.

Here is my take on why I can't pick good QBs in the draft--it is all about the timing, supporting cast, and system. If we bring in "damaged goods" like Howell or Levis, for example, give him a running game. IMO, we are solid at RB (assuming Brooks and Entienne step up). Not sure about these guys, but Geno Smith, Baker Mayfield, Jared Goff, Daniel Jones (I wanted us to go after him, fwiw), and Sam Darnold. If you think about it, that means that 15.6% of the starting QBs in the league are former "busts." We could find the right player and draft a player and we'd be better off than we are now. I think we need the following: a #2 WR. I think TMac is solid and Coker is a great slot. XL can be a situational WR creating a tough coverage matchup (S or nickel), and Horn does what he does. a playmaking, elite TE. Not only does it give the D another threat. We also need to break ties with at least one of our overpaid guards. Frankly, #74, Curhan (27), needs a contract for 2026, but a deal in the $4m range is a lot better than Hunt's $100m for 4 contract. He is 27 and has shown to be a solid RG. C Mays (26) needs a team-friendly, long-term deal at C, but he needs competition. He makes about $3m per season--I would say double it for 3 years--something in the $18-$21m range. The $$$ they were going to spend on young should go to our LT, Ickey. So this is a rough plan to improve the offense and locking down players at TE, WR, OL, and RB for the next few years. We need an Alpha. Remember the '85 Bears? McMahon was not that good--he had a good defense, great RB, good WRs, a stud OL....and he was an Alpha. Baker is an Alpha. We did not have the parts around him. He sucked and is not succeeding with better support. Canales knows this--saw it first hand.

Tremble is supposed to take Brown along the goal line. https://x.com/coach_yac/status/1993356695016493333?s=46&t=W75E23VenL1ei42iX22E5g Brown himself said “they didn’t threaten the flats” so he was able to jump it

Yes. Good point on the timid I didn't focus on it as Canales should know by now Young goes into his shell ill tell you honestly, i saw how young looked in the tunnel coming out with the team without his helmet on he looked scared shitless he played scared shitless one podcaster looking at the all 22 film said Young was thoroughly confused by Salah’s use of Mustafa and basically became paralyzed .. similar to what happened in 2023 with Bates in Atlanta Salah as DC greater than Canales as Oc

I think Canales knows what identity he wants for the team (I think), it's just that he is hamstrung by Bryce. He won't make the tough decision to ditch Bryce, likely due to higher-ups. Bryce has been on thin ice in my damned mind for two years. Every season, the question of axing him by the trade deadline looms large (again, in my mind). There is absolutely no way we should've come into this season without a plan B (and I'm not talking the Red Rifle). Canales should've been banging the table for a plan B. I mean, it's just his job on the line.

People will still blame Dave Canales knowing we have the worst QB in the league.

I loved Cam Newton the Carolina Panther. He is my Carolina GOAT w/ Luke. In fact, I loved the version that was the most heavily criticized version of him. The dude that pouted. Towel on the head. That hated to lose. I always thought all that was actually a great thing for us. We needed that injected into the franchise. Cam for me sort of is like Jake Delhomme. The versions at the end were very much different than the versions at the start. I got little interest in the Cam Newton of today trying to make as online/TV personality. I don't care for that guy.

Haven't you heard? UNC is the 33rd NFL team nowadays.

Trading McCaffrey did nothing to help the Panthers get better. Not only is he a great player, but he was a leader in the locker room and a great fan favorite. Of course the Panthers squandered the draft picks. I would add DJ Moore to the list as well. What a stupid decision to trade him. There has been so little talent on this team over the past five years that letting their best players go always seemed stupid to me. I would add Burns to that list as well. Getting a 2nd for Burns did not make the Panthers better because they still have to replace him. Losing Luvu and getting outbid for him was stupid too. Not keeping Reddick, and Chinn were also mistakes. They’ve had some good players over the past five years, but they’ve just let them go

Honestly, it's supremely American. Hand picked employee loved by the owner getting every opportunity while the other employees struggle to make up for his mistakes? Sounds right.