hepcat

Canales is not consistent. Gritty wins are mixed with blowout losses, which means there is an inconsistent effort from the players, and inconsistent and insufficient game planning from the coaching staff. I would have liked to make the argument the team is just getting blown out by superior opponents like the Bills and Patriots, but losing to a 1-8 Saints team at home and the (now) 3-6 Cardinals were not consistent with that. It's a contrast to Ron Rivera's tenure as head coach where it seemed the players would generally give a consistent effort, but the coaching staff wouldn't always have a winning gameplan to beat the opponent. Which lead to some excrutiating close losses, especially early in Rivera's tenure as head coach. Canales is whiffing on both fronts in some games, leading to what seems like inexcusable blowout losses every other game.

Honestly I think that having both of them out might have actually kept the Saints defense more off guard because they wouldn't know who to focus on. But Canales didn't really put together a new game plan either way.

Yea I agree I gotta give it to Morgan for finally drafting a player who might develop and become a good player with the team. After years of Scott Fitterer’s garbage I’m hopeful they’re drafting at least a few players who will last more than 2 years on the team.

I also think it was the coaching staff. The culture starts at the top. Canales bringing in Keegan Michael Key during a team meeting seems like a goofy distraction when the offense struggled to score any points and honestly scored 0 legit points if it weren’t for a LUCKY roughing the passer penalty.

https://sports.yahoo.com/video/jaguars-move-trevor-lawrence-season-180557659.html Surprising they are souring on him one year after signing a massive extension, but is it even true? Either way Lawrence an upgrade over Bryce even with his issues. The Panthers roster is probably about the same as Jacksonville right now so it might not make a difference here. At least Lawrence can throw the ball past 20 yards.

Believe me I was full in on Mayfield being garbage back then. Darnold I thought made too many mistakes but the arm talent was always there. He finally put it all together and of course it wasn’t on the Panthers

The way this team has handled starting QBs since Tepper took over is ass backward. The only QB completion they had was a farce between Sam Darnold and Baker Mayfield. What a blessing that QB room looks like right now.

Richardson is made out of glass and not going to take care of his body well enough to last in the NFL. But maybe if he gets that in order he might be productive in the NFL. I just know if the Panthers drafted him over Young in 2023, he would already be out of the NFL due to injury.

I'd take Steichen over Canales. The Colts played well even with all the injuries Anthony Richardson dealt with and playing journeymen QBs for most of his tenure as head coach. Anyone else remember that game the Colts played against the Panthers in 2023 where Bryce threw two pick 6's?

Jonathan Taylor is better. For the main reason that he's been doing it longer and more consistently. Rico has shown he can have big games but he always looks like he's on the verge of an injury.

Haha yea who might that be??? Tyler Warren might end up being the best TE in the NFL in a couple years. JT Sanders might not be in the NFL.

We don't need to have Cam come back to save us, but his ghost is certainly making it hard to be satisfied with the garbage QB play the team has had since he left.

Dalton used to be the literal line between a servicable/average QB and a QB that was not capable of being a starter in the NFL. It was literally called the Dalton Line for many years. He's just too old to play anymore. He knows what he needs to do, he just can't physically do it anymore. It's sad to see and I wouldn't call it Ass, it's just "should retire" tier.

I don't think this is the main issue to discuss because there's a bigger problem. I said this before the Saints game that as soon as a team sells out to stop Dowdle from beating them, we're all going to be reminded of how bad Bryce Young really is. The Saints had a very clear defensive gameplan to absolutely not let Dowdle beat them. They stacked the box and stayed home in the pass rush which caused Bryce to have several balls smacked down at the line and Bryce struggled to see the field. If it weren't for the roughing the passer penalty they wouldn't have scored a single point.

Yea that's where I am. It's hard to judge him when he's playing with a QB who can't really get him the ball consistently, but considering McMillian is already producing I wouldn't say it's a great sign for Legette.

I think at times Canales catches undo flack when he has called a pretty good game and it’s clear Bryce can’t execute the offense. And other times he fails to properly scheme for the opponent, and sometimes it’s a combination of the two. The game against the Saints was the combo of the two things to the most extreme degree. Now I’m wondering how much of a distraction the Rico Dowdle / Keegan Michael Key stuff was this week.

I say no haha. What a train wreck that would be. I’d rather them go sign Will Levis or something than bring in Murray who is another physically limited QB. At least one of the 1st round “busts” from the last few years is going to end up having a decent career. Anthony Richardson, Trey Lance, who knows. The guys are out there.

That was the answer in 2020, the same as re-signing Darnold for one more year was the answer in 2023.

I said this in another thread. It’s like watching half an offense try to win games. Bryce is so limiting that they have to scheme around him to try to move the ball. Aside from Dowdle’s great run of games, they haven’t had any answers.

The formations were the same running scheme he has run with Dowdle since he became starter and it doesn’t work now that other teams have tape on it. Dowdle is going to be neutralized and they have to have someone else step up and make plays. McMillian is the only other player who can consistently make a play other than Dowdle and he’s a rookie. Bryce just isn’t it, the entire team probably knows it at this point, I think Bryce feels it, and it drags the whole team down into the abyss. They are probably not bouncing back from this loss with how difficult the schedule gets after the Falcons game. It’s brutal. Every team is going to sell out to stop the run, and the Panthers won’t have an answer for it. The season is over.

I think the Panthers have benefitted from teams not having an answer for Dowdle who had a great stretch of games and now tape is out there on the formations they use for him. Canales didn’t show a single new look or formation and the Saints were ready. They need a QB who can keep the defense honest and challenges the defense downfield which Bryce will never be able to do. It’s like watching half of an offense trying to win games.

This loss won’t go up with 2 playoff games and one loss than directly kept them out of the playoffs, but it probably completely ruined the rest of the season. The schedule is too difficult for them to bounce back from this and exposed how bad the team truly is. Their mentality is paper thin, they have no resolve to win if things don’t immediately work on offense, they can’t adjust, nothing works except Rico Dowdle and now he’s showing some fatigue and when the defense focuses on stopping him they have no answers. Season over.

Maybe joking around with Keegan Michael Key and acting like you’ve arrived when you haven’t is a bad idea for the team. Maybe just me I dunno

We know, he’s dogsh*t. He can’t make NFL throws past 10 yards consistently

He had a bad game but this loss was not on the defense. They played well enough to win.