We’re just starting to see Dave Canales’ vision for his Carolina Panthers.
The first-year head coach notched his first win on Sunday, leading his team to a stunning 36-22 triumph over the Las Vegas Raiders. Canales spoke about what he saw from upset victory.
“It was just a great picture of Panthers football,” he said at the top of his post-game press conference. “Being able to run the ball, stopping the run, playing complementary football, on third down, taking advantage of red-zone opportunities, the whole thing.”
The whole thing was pretty darn good—especially on offense. Led by a sharp outing from veteran Andy Dalton, who is the first quarterback in 2024 to pass for 300 yards and three touchdowns, the Panthers racked up a total of 437 yards while converting on five third-down tries—more than double of what they recorded between Weeks 1 and 2.
Running back Chuba Hubbard and wide receiver Diontae Johnson also helped get them there. Hubbard ran for a game-high 114 yards on 21 carries with another 55 yards on five catches while Johnson hit a career-high 122 receiving yards and his first touchdown of the campaign.
So with a 300-yard passer, a 100-yard rusher and a 100-yard receiver in the books today, Canales was asked if that’s what a Dave Canales offense should look like.
“That’s Panthers football,” he replied. “Team football right there. And I get to show them that. I get to show them how it all complements and all plays off of each other—the run game, opening things up in the back half, making teams have to load the box and try to take your run away and all of a sudden you got all this space. And that’s the way it fits.”
Well, it all fit.
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