Cat Scratch Reader
From underwhelming starts to overthinking play calls, fans have had plenty of things to complain about with young, second-year head coach Dave Canales. It’s hard to say how legitimate many of the common gripes amongst fans are, as the Carolina Panthers head coach is both very new and at the helm of a franchise whose fanbase has had little to do but complain for years on end. Are we over sensitive? Is he just showing growing pains? It’s hard to say. The hope is that we might learn more this weekend against the Buffalo Bills.
What is certain is that Canales has had no real opportunity to coach a game that had any real stakes for the Carolina Panthers. Slow starts and shaky quarterbacking have kept the Panthers far away from conversations about the postseason until now.
The Panthers suddenly find themselves at the end of a three-game winning streak, above .500, and with an old school, ball controlling, run first identity on offense. They face one of the league’s Super Bowl favorites with two big reasons to hope for an upset.
First, the game is in Charlotte. The Panthers have been outrageously better at home than on the road this year. They have a -7 point differential on the season, but are +36 and undefeated at home. I don’t know what’s going on, but it’s something.
Second, the Bills may not be equal to their reputation. Their passing game is a shadow of past years and their rushing defense is one of the worst in the league. That makes them uniquely vulnerable to a Panthers squad built to pound the rock and stop the run.
The 4-3 Panthers are on the verge of being viewed as a low tier contender in the NFC. A win over the Bills elevates that profile. Higher expectations equal higher pressure, making this the first game of Dave Canales’ brief career as a head coach that has actual stakes for the team, for the fans, and for himself.
How he calls this game and how prepared his players are will tell us a lot about Canales’ potential and future with the Carolina Panthers. Nobody is going to remember this game if Andy Dalton gets the start and can’t complete a pass because there is nothing left in his tank. Similarly, we all know who will shoulder the blame if Bryce Young plays and fumbles the ball away on the first three drives.
But if the team as a whole falls apart from the opening whistle? Or if they repeatedly get stopped on third and short because of some cutesy, ineffective play calls? Those are the kinds of things that fans will remember.
Fans will also remember anything that works. If the team comes out and shows the kind of effort they had against the Atlants Falcons or the Dallas Cowboys then, win or lose, that kind of fight will be the first impression Canales makes in a big game.
How about it Panthers fans?...
