Tag: Dave Canales

Panthers HC Dave Canales is asked why he thinks Bryce Young has improved

Panthers HC Dave Canales attributed Bryce Young’s recent growth to a pair of key attributes.

Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales was expected to be a quarterback whisperer of sorts for Bryce Young here in 2024. And now, even after a major road bump to begin the season, the results of their working relationship are finally starting to show.

Young, to the relief of many, is actually looking like the No. 1 overall pick the organization drafted in 2023. As opposed to the disastrous first two games of his second NFL campaign, the 23-year-old has been considerably effective and efficient over his last four—in which he’s thrown just one interception.

On Wednesday, ahead of their Week 14 matchup against the Philadelphia Eagles, Canales was asked why he thinks Young has been so sharp.

“It’s confidence and it’s decisiveness,” Canales replied. “It’s knowing what the concept is, getting a preview of what’s happening from a coverage standpoint and making quick decisions. And if you can play on time, throw to the first open guy and progress quickly, get to your scrambles—once you’re above that 2.7 [seconds]—you activate that second play.

“As our QB coach Will Harriger always likes to say, he’s like, ‘Activate the second play. Baller mode. Here we go.’ He’s getting to those things and he’s winning the down. He’s finding ways to win. And that’s kinda my message, always, to quarterbacks that I’ve been talkin’ to forever is—find a win in every play.

“Sometimes, it’s that on-time completion. Sometimes, it’s the off-schedule play. Sometimes, it’s the throwaway. Sometimes, it’s a sack—end the play with the ball, they got us. So there’s different ways to win the down so that we can have opportunities. And he’s just doing a really great job of being decisive.”

Since returning to the starting lineup in Week 8, Young has completed 60.4 percent while averaging 216.4 passing yards per game with six touchdowns and three interceptions. The Panthers are 2-3 in those contests, with two of those losses coming on walk-off field goals to the Kansas City Chiefs and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

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Panthers HC Dave Canales says Jonathon Brooks took ‘another great step’ in Week 13

Panthers HC Dave Canales is pleased with the weekly improvement from rookie RB Jonathon Brooks.

For Carolina Panthers running back Jonathon Brooks, the 2024 season has been all about taking steps. And according to his head coach, he took another one on Sunday.

Dave Canales spoke with reporters this afternoon, less than 24 hours after his team’s crushing overtime defeat to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The 26-23 loss featured a bit more of Brooks, who didn’t see many opportunities in his NFL debut last week.

Canales was asked about the rookie’s performance this time around.

“I thought it was a great step, from the first week to the second in terms of his confidence,” he replied. “Saw him break a couple of tackles, finishing runs aggressively, some of those things. So I was really pleased with the way he just took another step.

“And that’s all we expect—is just weekly improvement, the daily improvement, just dialing yourself into the protection plan, the runs, how we’re trying to press the runs and those things like that. And so, another great step for Jonathon.”

Brooks was sidelined for the first 10 games of the campaign as he continued to recover from an ACL tear. His first piece of in-game action came in the Week 12 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, where he took only two carries for seven yards over five offensive snaps.

The 21-year-old saw his workload bumped up to 15 snaps yesterday. Brooks ended up with 18 rushing yards on six attempts and 23 receiving yards on three catches—including this impressive 18-yard gain:

Team rushing leader Chuba Hubbard still shouldered the vast majority of the responsibilities out the backfield, recording 16 carries for 43 yards.

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Panthers HC Dave Canales says he spoke to Sam Franklin about heated altercation with Buccaneers players

Panthers HC Dave Canales on Sam Franklin Jr.’s heated altercation after loss to Bucs: He’ll be the first to tell you that he shouldn’t do that, that it was a mistake.”

If you ask Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales, safety Sam Franklin Jr. may have had a little too much juice in Week 13.

Yesterday’s heartbreaking overtime loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers was followed by another battle, one that took place in the tunnel near the visitors’ locker room at Bank of America Stadium. Franklin was seen shouting towards Buccaneers players while being restrained by a team staffer:

Canales was asked about the incident on Monday.

“Just know that we talked about it,” he replied. “He and I sat down this morning and just had that conversation. He’ll be the first to tell you that he shouldn’t do that, that it was a mistake.

“And we talked about just wanting to have passion, wanting to have edge and knowing where to tow that edge. And then come back to us, celebrate with us, talk to our teammates, keep our energy going on our side. We don’t have to give the opponent anything and that’s one of those things, too.”

Unfortunately for the Panthers and Franklin, they gave the Bucs the win (and some energy) on Sunday.

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Panthers hoping to have pair of rookie pass catchers back for Week 14

The Panthers are hoping to get both WR Jalen Coker and TE Ja’Tavion Sanders back for their Week 14 matchup against the Eagles.

The Carolina Panthers could have a pair of pretty important pass catchers back for their pretty daunting task in the City of Brotherly Love this upcoming Sunday.

Both wide receiver Jalen Coker and tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders were inactive for yesterday’s 26-23 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Coker missed his second straight game due to a quadriceps issue while Sanders, who was carted away from the Week 12 contest against the Kansas City Chiefs, was sidelined with his neck injury.

Head coach Dave Canales was asked if he expects the rookies to return to the field for their Week 14 matchup against the 10-2 Philadelphia Eagles.

“That’s the hope, yes,” he replied. “And so, they both have a couple of big days—today and tomorrow—to evaluate where they’re at and the hope is to get them back up this week.”

Coker currently ranks fifth on the team in receiving yards (263). Sanders, meanwhile, ranks third and leads all Carolina tight ends in the category (302).

Veteran tight end Stephen Sullivan was elevated from the practice squad on Saturday to provide depth in the absence of Sanders. Sullivan, however, exited the game with what Canales described as a “pretty significant knee injury.”

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Panthers HC Dave Canales praises Bryce Young’s ‘great’ Week 13 performance

Panthers HC Dave Canales on Bryce Young’s performance in Week 13: “I thought he played great.”

Another week, another win within a loss for Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young.

For the second straight game, Young’s Panthers fell short of a triumphant  victory by way of a painful walk-off field goal. After a defeat at the hands of the defending Super Bowl champion Kansas City Chiefs in Week 12, it was the defending NFC South champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers who got their kicks in the final seconds at Bank of America Stadium in Week 13.

Young, however, put forth another eye-opening outing in the 26-23 loss. The second-year passed threw for a season-high 298 yards, topping last week’s 263, with one passing touchdown and one rushing touchdown.

Head coach Dave Canales, who continues to get behind the 23-year-old, had some high praise for the valiant performance.

“I thought he played great,” Canales replied. “I thought he made some critical throws in critical situations. He got us out of some bad ones, threw the ball away a couple times. It was an aggressive day. They [Buccaneers] blitzed a lot, he handled it well again and gave us a chance to win, for sure, on those last couple of drives.”

Young would later be asked about his play.

“Just getting more comfortable in the system,” he replied. “Coach is doin’ a great job of calling really good things, installing good things throughout the week. I trust him, I trust the system and just stickin’ to that. And also, just the players around. O-line, everyone up front is doin’ a great job. Receivers getting open. It’s not just me.”

Since returning to the starting lineup in Week 8, Young has completed 60.4 percent of his passes for 1,082 yards (216.4 per game), six touchdowns and three interceptions.

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Panthers HC Dave Canales talks about heartbreaking loss to Buccaneers

Panthers HC Dave Canales was asked what he told his team after their heartbreaking overtime loss to the Buccaneers in Week 13.

The winningest head coach in Carolina Panthers history, Ron Rivera, would blame what happened today on “missed opportunities.” The current head coach of the Carolina Panthers, Dave Canales, has some similar terminology for the same type of result.

Week 13 saw the Panthers cough up an overtime loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in an outing where they had multiple openings to clinch a victory. Canales began his presser following the 26-23 defeat by stating the obvious.

“The story of the day—just, we gotta control the things we can control,” he said to reporters. “We gotta make our kicks, we gotta take care of the ball at the end right there. We’re in a field goal position right there, to be able to win the game in overtime. Just the execution, all across the board, there’s some good football in there and there’s some bad football and we gotta continue to attack it. But it’s just the things that we gave away.”

Running back Chuba Hubbard, with a chance to set up an easy walk-off field goal, literally gave away the ball at Tampa Bay’s 30-yard line in overtime. The Buccaneers capitalized on the error—as they pieced together a five-play, 59-yard drive to help give their kicker, Chase McLaughlin, a 30-yard game-winner.

Carolina’s kicker, Eddy Piñeiro, didn’t have as memorable of a day. He missed on two of his five attempts, one of 38 yards and the other of 45.

Canales was then asked what he told the team after the heartbreaking loss.

“It’s the things that we control,” he replied. “The things that were well within our control in terms of just getting down there in field goal range, coming away with points there, taking care of the ball right there at the end—because that’s on us.”

The Panthers missed their opportunity to double their win total from last season, moving to 3-9 on the campaign.

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Panthers HC Dave Canales is asked if Bryce Young will be team’s starting QB moving forward

Panthers HC Dave Canales may have just given his strongest endorsement of Bryce Young since the QB’s return to the starting lineup.

Bryce Young is doing enough to remain the starting quarterback of the Carolina Panthers.

Head coach Dave Canales, who has been largely (and perhaps notoriously) non-committal about the quarterback position for much of the season, made some relatively early headway this past Sunday. In a bit of a departure from the norm, he named Young as the Week 13 starter right after the team’s Week 12 outing against the Kansas City Chiefs.

But did he make even more headway with Young on Wednesday?

Canales was asked if the 23-year-old passer will keep the job moving forward.

“As he continues to show us just the progress that we’re looking for as he continues to earn these moments, then yeah, he’ll be in there,” he replied. “And that’s what I’ve been most excited about is that there’s a weekly growth that’s happening.

“So, again, we’re just taking it a week at a time. I know that’s been my language, but he’s really taking the responsibility of it and pushing us that way. And the bottomline is, he’s giving us a chance to win in the weeks he’s been playing.”

Young, who was benched following a poor two-game start to the campaign, returned to the starting lineup in place of an injured Andy Dalton in Week 8.

In his four starts since, he’s completed 61.0 percent of his passes for 784 yards, five touchdowns and three interceptions while leading the Panthers to a pair of wins.

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Panthers TE Ja’Tavion Sanders avoided a ‘pretty bad’ neck injury in Week 12

Panthers HC Dave Canales told reporters that TE Ja’Tavion Sanders avoided a “pretty bad injury” in yesterday’s loss to the Chiefs.

Carolina Panthers tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders might’ve gotten really lucky yesterday.

The rookie pass catcher was carted off the field amidst a scary scene in the second quarter of the team’s 30-27 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. Sanders, upon running out of bounds on a 10-yard completion, landed on the top of his head following a hit from cornerback Trent McDuffie and linebacker Drue Tranquill.

After the game, head coach Dave Canales told reporters that Sanders was discharged from his visit to a local hospital and was able to return to the stadium later that evening.

Canales provided another update on the 21-year-old this afternoon.

“Yeah, scary moment,” he stated. “Right now, what it appears is that we avoided a really, pretty bad injury—based on the nature of the play. It is a neck injury, he’s here, he’s in the building, he’s getting worked on, we’re still evaluating all of that, we’re gonna have to take that all the way to Wednesday to see what his availability might be for this week.

“But, again, that’s something that we still have to be really, really diligent about, in terms of collecting all the information and data we have, with the nature of the injury.”

Sanders recorded three receptions for 43 yards before his exit.

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Panthers HC Dave Canales provides encouraging update on TE Ja’Tavion Sanders

Panthers TE Ja’Tavion Sanders, who was carted off the field after a scary neck injury on Sunday, has been discharged from the hospital.

Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales has provided a very encouraging update on tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders, who left Sunday’s game in a very scary scene.

Sanders was carted off the field in the second quarter of today’s eventual 30-27 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs after injuring his neck. The rookie landed on his head at the end of a 10-yard reception, when Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie and linebacker Drue Tranquill converged for a tackle of Sanders at the sideline.

Right after the game, Canales was asked for the latest on the 21-year-old.

“JT was discharged from the hospital, so that’s good news,” he replied. “But he’s still under evaluation, so I don’t wanna make any definitive comments about that. But certainly a positive sign that he’s coming back here to the facility right now.”

Canales confirmed that Sanders was able to move after the landing.

At the time of his exit, Sanders had amassed a team-leading 43 receiving yards.

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Panthers HC Dave Canales says QB Bryce Young will ‘absolutely’ start in Week 13

In a break from the norm, Panthers HC Dave Canales has already named his starting QB for next week.

Although they were close, the Carolina Panthers did not do enough to pull off what would have been the NFL’s biggest upset of the year on Sunday. Quarterback Bryce Young, however, did enough to secure his job for next Sunday.

Young, in another eye-opening performance, passed for a season-high 263 yards in this afternoon’s 30-27 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs. While it came in defeat, the valiant effort was easily one of the most impressive offerings of the 23-year-old’s pro career.

So, head coach Dave Canales was asked if Young should be his guy moving forward.

“I mean, yeah, I don’t have to make any statements. He’s makin’ it for himself,” Canales replied. “He’s continued to show us the progress we’re lookin’ for, bringing our skill players to life.”

After benching him two weeks into the campaign, Canales reinserted Young into the starting lineup in place of an injured Andy Dalton in Week 8. Since then, Canales has taken his decision under center week by week—refusing to commit to either quarterback following each game.

But now, Young has finally made that choice a quick one for Canales—who was asked if the former No. 1 overall pick will lead the Panthers against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in Week 13.

“Absolutely,” he stated simply.

In his second go-round as the starter, Young has completed 61.0 percent of his throws for 784 yards, five touchdowns and three interceptions. The Panthers are 2-2 in those contests.

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