Soul Rebel

Was it ever confirmed that the play call was a flea flicker or was it Rico panicking and re-living his ST blunder? I see Canales and Bryce as the kind of guys that would fall on the grenade for a teammate. I find it hard to believe that an NFL HC/OC would call a play that is used for deeper pass plays and not RZ plays in the final minutes of a game that decides their playoff fate.

I do trust Tillis here and feel like this gives Canales a game manager at QB on a “cheap” deal while spending money elsewhere. At its peak, $26M in 2027 is middle of the road AAY for NFL QBs in 2025. It would sandwich him between Justin Fields and Baker Mayfield. This gives them time to add speed/separation at WR, a bonafide TE threat, lock up Icky, find Moton’s replacement, , find a guy to wear the dot at LB, find an edge guy opposite Scourton, add a DL to pair with DB while he’s still in his prime and figure out the secondary. This move, if it happens, does not guarantee Bryce is the QB beyond 2026. It does not also mean he is signing a long-term deal either.

Also, seeing XL run out as a starter will speak volumes to how Canales views accountability.

David Moore revenge game incoming!!

Though question the validity of this chart, it does remind me of concerns I have with our offense. I’m unsure whether it’s Canales doesn’t trust Bryce to execute his gameplan or if the route concepts and scheme is vanilla and unimaginative by design. When watching other games, the receivers seem like they get more separation and aren’t as clustered together as ours. The Panthers WR, TE and RBs, more often than not, seem very close to each other and almost like their feet are stuck in a lower gear in and out of routes/off the LOS. Often times, unclear of their positioning when the first read isn’t there and where they should be positioned within the options of that particular route concept (e.g. Bryce is under duress and the play breaks down….where do you go? Pre-snap we thought it was man, it’s disguised well as zone). It’s almost like if the coaches don’t tell them, the players aren’t intelligent enough to figure this out on their own. Or are the players simply doing as told by the coaches in film study, practice and in-game, which means the coaching is inept.

This has to be Dave’s move on Sunday. There’s a way to communicate this to XL that his performance doesn’t merit him starting in the biggest game of the year, while still allowing him to get reps and earn his way. Moore used to play in TB and is a more reliable target for Bryce. Truthfully, I think Horn has played as well as XL this year to earn some of his targets as well.

I do wonder if McVay came looking for an eventual Stafford replacement a couple years from now, if Bryce could succeed back in Southern California. Let the Rams spend the next two years rewiring him with a more veteran, successful organization. It’s a long shot but it would take a Reid/McVay/Ben Johnson type of leader in IMO. Canales and this franchise in its current state isn’t there yet.

If us message board warriors and twitter analysts can see the opposing defensive scheme and disguises funneling Bryce to dump it off and dare him to throw it beyond 7 yards, coaches and front offices being paid millions have to know this. This includes the Panthers’ brass. This is why I think Canales is toting the company line and playing Bryce because he has to. If Tepper goes to him this offseason and says, “It’s your call at QB, Coach. Either keep Bryce or find your guy. Whatever it takes to win!” I think Canales benches or asks Dan to move Bryce.

No way Young comes out of the game unless he gets injured. If he has another SEA/SF/NO debacle, it only helps Canales’ case to upper management to give him his choice at QB next year and beyond. Canales is doing what any employee does when Ownership tells them what they want. Canales should have his choice at QB if Young looks like sh1t two years in a row.

I blame DIontae Johnson for this mess. Ladd was there for the taking and we decided the WR room needed size and a potential X receiver instead of the better talent. Meh.

I felt like we came out the gates this way though. I understand Seattle’s defense is top notch and their secondary can lock it down, but playing scared is not the way to win in this league. It seemed like the gameplan was to keep the ball away from their DBs and take safe secure underneath passes. It doesn’t make sense when we saw their defense get lit up 10 days earlier. It’s not to say Young and Canales are cut from the same cloth as McVay and Stafford, but there’s tape on how to move the ball against the Hawks. It’s more frustrating when Darnold played awful and we contained their running game outside of the Charbonet run too. 3-3 at halftime and this staff couldn’t make tweaks and tinker a bit to put points on the board. Sad.

My concerns, which have been all year: - Smart defenses dare Bryce to beat them deep. They disguise looks pre-snap really well and then assume the play call involves a 4-8 yard route concept and creep up. This also helps them against the run by not needing to fear getting beat over top. The games we’ve won and when 9 looks competent, we push the ball downfield more. We looked so scared today. Do we adjust properly when initial gameplan and blueprint is being countered? Canales often times is too stubborn or too predictable.

This team hurt themselves every time we had the opportunity to flex. Jaycee’s dropped INT on the first drive. Bryce missing an open McMillan on 4th that probably goes potentially for 6. Chuba’s fumble after the INT. Horn’s penalty on 3rd & long. I’m sure I am forgetting a few too, but this team beat itself today in a sloppy home game with everything on the line.

If you consider the rare offensive offsides penalty as a target, then yes.

He has 16 yards at halftime on 7 passes. I feel like the SEA interception return went for more than 16 yards. If not, pretty damn close.

The more I’m watching YT vids of these LBs, two things are coming into focus for me. 1 - Sonny Styles will rip the combine up and crack the top-10….unfortunate that he won’t be a Panther without us moving up. 2 - Anthony Hill Jr. is LB3 for me and someone I’d like to see in Process Blue. I’ve seen a few UT fans mentioning him in the same breath as a step just below Derrick Johnson. I really hope we to LB or Sadiq with our R1 pick.

I’m keeping an eye on what the Hawks do with Boye Mafe. There’s a few young talented players that needs to be retained and one of their defensive starters might not fit within the budget. My guess is probably Riq Woolen is voted off the island but Mafe could be instead. His stats aren’t eye popping, but in McDonald’s defense, his role is to leverage for the DL to clean up. Mafe’s QB pressure rate is top notch and in a different scheme, he could clean up. Just something to watch this weekend when SEA is in town.

I think Wallace can be a great “Robin” to someone’s “Batman”. Pair him with Sonny Styles and let Styles wear the dot. I think Wallace can be a great partner, just not the dominant alpha we sorely need.

As most have pointed out, most realistic and logical Panthers fans predicted 7 or 8 wins, with 9 or 10 being best case scenario if the chips fell the right way. This season is already a success and lots to build off of. Biggest off-szn priorities is drafting our new Luke/Morgan/Beason to wear the dot and finding an A’Shawn replacement to put with DB. I don’t want to waste Brown’s best years by putting Shy Tuttle caliber DL around him. I also wouldn’t object to an upgrade at DC if there is one. Evero is mid but we can’t take a step back just for the hell of it. We could do a lot worse than EE. EDIT: I like Robinson a lot, but given his age and soon to be declining play, I’d like to find a younger compliment with 95. I did not mean he was the same level of player as Shy. A’Shawn is a solid vet that has been a great add the past couple years.

Yup. If we lose out after beating NO & TB, we finish at 9-8. We would be tied in the H2H with TB, but would finish with a 4-2 division record vs. Tampa’s 3-3.

I’ve often wondered what responsibilities Idzik has on this staff. Does he asssit Canales in making any decisions? Week-to-week, what would you say Idzik does for this offense?

That home game vs New Orleans will linger. The Superdome is a tough place to get a W….especially versus a heated division rival fighting for a playoff spot. I think the formula to win here is not beat ourselves. That means BY9 plays smart and is the calmer/confident Bryce. Same goes for Dave. If Chuba is the healthier hotter hand right now, ride him. Take what NO gives you and don’t force a square peg in a round hole.

This is where I'm at. Dowdle is a feel good story and glad he's proving his doubters wrong. I just don't see how we keep our OL intact (which is the right move) and spend on another RB after giving Chuba his money. Though the odds are against him, I do think Brooks can still be our RB2 next year..and if he stays healthy, our longterm RB1. Having the full offseason with no pressure to try and come back like last year will help. I'm also happy to see he and TD have been connecting. If this team is smart, they go into next year with Chuba/Brooks/ETN and sign a Dowdle-light version in FA at minimum cost. Chuba is in his prime and a full offseason to fully recharge will only benefit him more. Dowdle is unfortunately a luxury item I don't think we can spend our money on. We still have other areas of need that we have to improve on the defensive side of the ball.

I wonder how long the JT Sanders experiment will go. I know he went in the 4th for a reason, but at the time, I thought he was one of those classic prospects that fell and was a steal on day 3. I’m not out on him, but he has flashed less this year than last and there are games where he seems non-existent. Evans looks like the most promising long-term answer. Tremble will be here until his contract runs out. Sanders could be the new Ian Thomas, though the former has shown more flashes/promise than the latter. Maybe Canales enjoys TE by committee though….i feel like that was the deal in TB and SEA.

I do hope Sonny Styles is available with our pick. Reese will go top-3, but Styles is a beast in his own right. His size next to Wallace would be a heckuva balance and he plays fast. My guess is Styles destroys the combine and goes top-8. Gotta hope the "taking an off-ball LB early" conversation causes a bit of a drop. It did with Campbell in last draft, so here's hoping Styles can last until the late teens/early 20s.