Tag: Dave Canales

Panthers QB Bryce Young talks about his chance to start in Week 8

Panthers QB Bryce Young spoke about getting the start for Sunday’s outing in Denver.

His second chance under center in Carolina may not end up being much of a second chance when it’s said and done, but Panthers quarterback Bryce Young is only focused on what’s right in front of him.

And as of now, there’s a fresh game in front of Young—who was named the team’s starter for their Week 8 matchup against the Denver Broncos.

With Andy Dalton currently dealing with a sprained right thumb as a result of a minor car accident on Tuesday, the Panthers are once again looking to the former No. 1 overall pick to lead them to victory. Young, shortly following the announcement from head coach Dave Canales, talked about what the opportunity means.

“For me, it’s just day by day,” he said from his locker. “I wanna do everything I can to be the best I can today—during meetings and practice and, obviously, through everything I can to help the team on Sunday.”

Young was benched following a disappointing two-game stretch to begin the regular season. The 23-year-old passed for 250 yards and three interceptions over a pair of losses, where Carolina mustered up all of just 13 points.

A winner through almost all stages of his football career and the crown jewel of the NFL draft just one year ago, Young has had to spend the last five games as a backup. He was asked about the difficulty of having to deal with that harsh reality.

“It’s obviously difficult,” he replied. “I think, regardless of the walk of life, you can relate to just trying to do the right things and be consistent in what you do—especially if there’s adversity. So, definitely, there were struggles. But I’m not the only person going through something. I’m not the only person struggling.”

Sunday will mark Young’s 10th career start on the road. The Panthers are winless in the previous nine away outings under Young.

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Panthers HC Dave Canales speaks on decision to start Bryce Young in Week 8

Panthers HC Dave Canales was asked if QB Bryce Young can reclaim the starting job with a strong return under center in Week 8.

Albeit by some unforeseen circumstances, Bryce Young’s second act with the Carolina Panthers is set to begin. But how long will it last?

On Wednesday, head coach Dave Canales announced that Young will get the starting nod under center in place of an injured Andy Dalton. Dalton, who was involved in a minor car accident on Tuesday, did not participate in this afternoon’s practice session due to a sprained thumb on his throwing hand.

Canales would be asked if he believes Young has built on his game since he was benched earlier this season.

“All I can tell is he’s been engaged the whole time,” replied Canales, who also said Young has been a “stud” throughout the five-game process. “We had great football conversations. During the week, fine-tuning our game plans. On Sunday, on the sideline, talking through things. So he’s been engaged and a part of that whole thing.

“So, for me, it’s great for him that he approached it with such class and integrity, this hard situation. And now, he gets to get back out there and play some football.”

Young wasn’t playing good football through the first two weeks of the campaign, passing for 250 yards and three interceptions while leading the Panthers to just 13 points in a pair of losses. His underwhelming performance resulted in Canales handing over the starting job to Dalton in Week 3.

The first start back shouldn’t be an easy for Young, who is set to face a hot Denver Broncos defense. If he does, however, light the ponies up, can Bryce reclaim his job?

Canales said the following about that very inquiry:

“We’re gonna evaluate Andy’s thumb and we’ll go week to week with our decision. Dan [Morgan], Brandt [Tilis] and I will talk together about the right thing to do for the team.”

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Panthers HC Dave Canales is asked if Bryce Young will get another chance in 2024

Panthers HC Dave Canales was asked if the outlook has changed for Bryce Young and Andy Dalton.

The Carolina Panthers still aren’t ready to reboot quarterback Bryce Young.

Head coach Dave Canales spoke with reporters this afternoon, a day after his team may have reached their newest low in a 40-7 loss to the Washington Commanders. The defeat, which Canales described as “humbling,” showcased the struggles of current starting quarterback Andy Dalton once again—as he threw for just 93 yards and a pair of interceptions.

Canales, as he did following the game yesterday, reaffirmed that Dalton will get the nod for the Week 8 matchup against the Denver Broncos. But will he look to put Young back under center at some point in 2024?

“Right now, we’re focused on the Broncos,” Canales replied. “Andy’s playing this week and that’s really where our focus is at. And all those other conversations are all hypothetical conversations that definitely Dan [Morgan], Brandt [Tilis], I know that we have to have. But right now, we’re focused on playing the Broncos and focused on getting Andy to take another step in terms of getting us back to good football.”

The Panthers haven’t played a ton of good football with Dalton of late. Carolina has lost their last four games, a stretch that has seen the 14th-year veteran average just 167.5 passing yards per game with four touchdowns and six interceptions.

Young, the first overall pick of the 2023 NFL draft, was benched in favor of Dalton after two anemic outings of his own. The 23-year-old threw for a combined 245 yards and three picks while leading the Panthers to just 13 points in a pair of losses.

Canales was then asked if the team will consider trading Young.

“Again, hypotheticals,” he said. “This is stuff that Dan and Brandt will be talking through, all those different processes. And right now, my focus is to try to get us back to playing really good football.”

With the trade deadline two weeks away, Dalton, Young and the Panthers currently sit at 1-6.

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Panthers announce quarterback decision for Broncos game

“Andy [Dalton] will be playing next week,” Panthers coach Dave Canales said of the team’s QB plan against the Broncos.

Story update: After Andy Dalton sprained his thumb in a car accident on Tuesday, the Panthers announced Wednesday that Bryce Young will start against the Broncos. See our original post below.

During a 40-7 blowout loss to the Washington Commanders on Sunday, the Carolina Panthers replaced veteran quarterback Andy Dalton with second-year quarterback Bryce Young for their final drive of the game.

After the game, Panthers coach Dave Canales said Dalton would remain the starter going forward. The coach was asked if there would be a point where Carolina would go back to Young.

“Right now, it’s just hypothetical,” Canales said, via Anthony Rizzuti of Panthers Wire. “We gotta just get prepared, we gotta look at this film, get ready for the Broncos right now and Andy will be playing next week.”

Canales reiterated again on Monday that Dalton will start in Week 8.

Since winning his first start with the Panthers earlier this year, Dalton has since dropped four straight games. Dalton went 11-of-16 passing for 93 yards with no touchdowns and two interceptions on Sunday. Young went 2-of-2 for negative four yards on the final drive of the game.

This week, Dalton will face a Broncos defense that ranks third in total yards allowed per game (282.4), fifth in passing yards allowed (170.7) and third in points allowed (15.1). That’s through seven weeks with a pair of Monday Night Football games yet to take place tonight.

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Panthers HC Dave Canales is asked if he’ll bench Andy Dalton moving forward

Panthers HC Dave Canales was asked if he’s committed to keeping QB Andy Dalton under center after Sunday’s 40-7 loss.

The triumphant Week 3 performance of Carolina Panthers quarterback Andy Dalton now feels like it happened ages ago.

Week 7 brought the fourth straight loss for the 36-year-old passer and the Panthers, who were thumped in a 40-7 defeat by the host Washington Commanders on Sunday. Dalton turned in the worst outing of his campaign in the blowout, passing for a season-low 93 yards and two interceptions.

Head coach Dave Canales was asked about Dalton’s performance after the game.

“It just wasn’t good enough,” Canales said. “That’s true, and he knows that. And so, that’s something, that again, we just gotta be honest about our ‘Tell the Truth Monday’ and look at the things that we can do better from an execution standpoint.”

Dalton has disappointed since the Week 3 win over the Las Vegas Raiders, where he passed for 319 yards and three touchdowns. In the four starts since, he’s averaged 167.5 passing yards per game with four scores and six picks.

So with the 14th-year veteran continuing to struggle and his team at 1-6, will Canales look to go back to Bryce Young to see what the 23-year-old can do?

“Right now, it’s just hypothetical,” replied Canales, who said he’s committed to Dalton for the Week 8 matchup in Denver. “We gotta just get prepared, we gotta look at this film, get ready for the Broncos right now and Andy will be playing next week.”

Young appeared in Carolina’s final series of this afternoon’s loss. He completed two passes for a combined loss of four yards.

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Panthers WR Diontae Johnson listed with 2 more injuries for Week 7

Panthers WR Diontae Johnson will have to overcome three separate injuries to suit up against the Commanders.

Carolina Panthers wideout Diontae Johnson will have to overcome three separate injuries to suit up for Sunday’s contest against the Washington Commanders.

After not participating in practices on both Wednesday and Thursday due to an ankle issue, Johnson returned to the field in a limited capacity this afternoon and has been listed as questionable for Week 7. That status, however, was accompanied by two additional details—as team’s report from Friday listed ribs and hamstring injuries for the 28-year-old.

Head coach Dave Canales spoke about Johnson following practice:

Johnson has dealt with numerous road bumps throughout his first season in Carolina. Along with the existing injuries, he also sustained a groin strain during the summer.

Nonetheless, Johnson has played in all six games to this point—leading the team in receptions (29), receiving yards (340) and receiving touchdowns (three).

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Panthers HC Dave Canales: Jonathon Brooks ‘looked great’ in 1st practice

Panthers HC Dave Canales on rookie RB Jonathon Brooks’ first practice: “He looked great.”

The first official NFL practice for Carolina Panthers running back Jonathon Brooks finally came on Wednesday. And according to head coach Dave Canales, it was a great start for the rookie.

Canales spoke with reporters following the session this afternoon. He was asked how Brooks, who was officially designated to return earlier in the morning, looked.

“He looked great,” Canales replied. “He took a couple of snaps, went through the individual period. So, it was good to have him out there, see him running around.

“Something that we’ve certainly been excited about. Just get him out there and make sure we do the right thing for Jonathon, first and foremost. And then from there, we’ll just kinda take it a week at a time and see where he’s able to help us.”

Brooks, the team’s second-round pick from this year’s draft, had remained sidelined since last November due to an ACL tear. He did not participate in offseason workouts and sat on the reserve/non-football injury list for the first six weeks of the regular season.

Now that he’s back at practice, Brooks will have 21 days to be moved to the active roster. But when will that day come?

“Just looking for the confidence, looking for him to just play normal football,” Canales said when asked how the team will be monitoring Brooks’ progress. “And when we can see that happen, and we see the comfortability and confidence to play fast, then we know he’s ready to go.”

Along with Brooks, the Panthers also got rookie defensive lineman Jaden Crumedy and safety Sam Franklin Jr. back on the practice field today.

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Bucs’ Chris Godwin leads NFL in a key receiving catgeories through Week 6

Through six games, the Bucs wide receiver has been on a tear and leads all receivers in the NFL in not just one but multiple key categories.

Having a sure-handed wide receiver like Chris Godwin is a luxury. Through six games, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers wide receiver has been on a tear and leads all receivers in the NFL in not just one but multiple key categories.

Godwin leads the way for wide receivers with a minimum of 25 targets on the season, catching 84.3% of on-target throws in his direction by quarterback Baker Mayfield, who completes 43-of-51 passes. Cincinnati Bengals superstar wide receiver Ja’Marr Chase trails with an 82.9 catch rate on 10-less targets (41), supplying Mayfield with a 138.3 passer rating when he tosses the ball toward Godwin.

Receiving yards has Godwin positioned with the third-most at 510 behind Houston Texans’ Nico Collins (566) and the Bengals’ Chase (565). Where Godwin begins to set himself apart from the pack is his 335 yards after catch eclipse that of the second-place Chase (268), who is more commonly known as an explosive receiver, by 67. The only slot receiver in the NFL who averages more yards after catch per reception is Green Bay’s Jayden Reed with 8.1 YAC/REC. He also is tied with Chase, Allen Lazard, and fellow Buccaneers Mike Evans to lead the NFL with 5 TD.

Godwin’s chemistry with Mayfield has generated a league-leading 30 receiving first downs through six games. To make things impressive, Godwin is ranked 55th in the league for average depth of target (ADOT) at just 5.2 yards- essentially half (10.3) of what he saw in Dave Canales’ offense last season.

The Texans connection between quarterback CJ Stroud and Collins has generated the second-most receiving first downs on the season with 27, with an ADOT of 12.0- nearly three times that of Godwin.

Currently on pace for a career year with 122 receptions, 1445 yards, and 14 touchdowns, The 28-year old Godwin is picking no better time to produce even higher numbers than what Bucs fans have grown accustomed to, as he is playing in the final year of his three-year contract.

Is it time for the Panthers to go back to starting Bryce Young over Andy Dalton?

As the 1-5 Panthers continue to fall out of contention, is it now time to give the reins back to QB Bryce Young?

For the second time in their last three outings, the Carolina Panthers suffered by the hand of imbalanced football. This past Sunday saw the visiting Atlanta Falcons run all over Bank of America Stadium en route to a 38-20 victory.

But it’s not the same imbalance that we’re used to seeing.

Dissimilar to 2023, when the anemic offense would regularly let down the solid defense, it’s the awfully generous defense that’s letting down the growing offense. Nonetheless, the bright side is still not bright enough for some.

As the 1-5 Panthers continue to struggle, a new debate has arisen amongst fans—one that stems back to the team’s biggest move of the season thus far. Should there be a switch under center yet again?

Head coach Dave Canales, at the beginning of Week 3, made a brave decision to bench last year’s No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young in favor of 14th-year veteran Andy Dalton. And it’s paid off for the offense, which has appeared more stable under a capable passing game and a productive ground attack.

Since Dalton became the starting quarterback, Carolina has averaged 22.5 points per contest while converting on 40.8 percent (20-for-49) of their third-down attempts. That’s quite difference from the 6.5 points and 0.1 percent (two-for-22) under Young.

The argument to play Young, however, has emanated from what’s going on with the other side of the ball. The largely-injured and undermanned Panthers defense has allowed a league-high 33.8 points a game, and is currently on pace to give up the most points in franchise history.

If the campaign is pretty much lost to this point, shouldn’t the organization try to find out if Young can still be a franchise quarterback? Considering the king’s ransom they gave up for him, shouldn’t Carolina want to get another look at the 23-year-old before making (or not making) another choice at the position?

Well, while it may be premature to give up on a talented second-year player after just 18 starts, we must remind ourselves of what Young looked like in the first two weeks of the season. He showed no pretense of confidence as a passer.

Young was also not seeing the field well and had very little trust in an offensive line that had given him clean looks. When he did have time to throw, Young bailed from his pockets and threw some ghastly interceptions.

From Canales’ perspective—he needed to decide not just for the offense, but for team’s performance as a whole. He needed to establish the trust of the locker room and raise the morale.

There is no doubt that the Panthers offense has been moving more consistently since Dalton took the reins—as he’s had answers against pressure, played on time and in rhythm and displayed the composure that was missing from the spot to begin the season. The skill players trust him, something that is critical between the signal-caller and his playmakers.

This isn’t to say the players don’t trust Young. But it’s difficult to ignore the response from this group of men.

Dalton is who he is as a player. He will miss at times and have some ill-advised tosses that turn into big plays for the opponent.

What’s important here is that he is displaying general steadiness and rhythm in the passing game. The clip above shows an example of a quarterback who keeps his eyes up when working off-structure, with the ability to quickly reset and drive throws downfield.

Here is another example of Dalton displaying ball placement and general accuracy:

This seam throw was well-layered and accurate into the void against zone coverage. We didn’t see much of this when Young was on the field this year.

Again, the choice for Canales was between allowing Young to continue to digress and drag down the unit or roll with Dalton to ignite any semblance of a functional passing game. Starting Young because “the season is over” is not a good process entering Week 7.

The Panthers have yet to be mathematically eliminated from the playoffs—and until they are, it’s more likely than not that Dalton will remain the team’s starter. Flip-flopping between quarterbacks does nothing to help instill the culture Canales is attempting to establish in Carolina.

This isn’t to say that Young shouldn’t start for Carolina down the line. Dalton could have a bad stretch of games that just might force Canales’ hand yet again.

Until that happens, this is Dalton’s team until it isn’t. He has shown he can drive the offense downfield for scores and give the team the best chance to win each week.

The argument for both sides is understandable from the idea of roster construction and development. Canales and the Panthers, however, must continue to roll with what’s working best on offense—and starting Dalton works best on offense, at least for now.

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Should Panthers consider trading Chuba Hubbard when Jonathon Brooks returns?

Panthers HC Dave Canales was asked if the team might have to consider trading Chuba Hubbard when Jonathon Brooks hits the backfield.

Will there soon be too many cats in the Carolina Panthers’ backfield?

On Monday, head coach Dave Canales provided quite an exciting update on 2024 second-round pick Jonathon Brooks. He told reporters that the 21-year-old running back, who has started his rookie campaign on the reserve/non-football injury list, is expected to hit the practice field starting this week.

Brooks, due to the ACL tear he sustained last November, has yet to receive the full green light as a pro. Despite the initial belief from April that he’d be ready for training camp, the youngster remained sidelined during both spring and summer workouts.

But now that Brooks has taken another real step towards his NFL debut, will his presence crowd the running back room? Will the organization’s desire to see him result in a trade, say, of Chuba Hubbard?

Canales was asked that this afternoon.

“Again, we just gotta get Jonathon out there, see where he’s at, take a good evaluation of him playing football, moving around with confidence and then we’ll make those decisions,” he replied.

Those decisions would be a lot easier if not for the recent success of Hubbard, who is currently the NFL’s third-leading rusher. Much of that production has come over the last four weeks, where the fourth-year back rushed for 407 yards and two scores.

Aside from the numbers, Hubbard’s also been the engine in Carolina’s pursuit of an identity on offense. He has helped justify the front office’s huge investments along their offensive line and has led the charge in establishing the run—one of the main focuses for Canales in his first season.

So, do you just trade that away?

No, of course you don’t.

Perhaps a deal makes sense at the most superficial level. Not only was Brooks the first running back selected in the 2024 draft, but the Panthers coveted him enough to trade up the board to solidify that honor.

Oh, and Hubbard is a free agent at season’s end. Why not ship him off for something if the future belongs to Brooks?

Well, for one, the Panthers might not get anything worthwhile in return. Although Hubbard is playing the best ball of his career, good luck finding a team who will hand over a real asset for a veteran running back in today’s NFL.

Heck, look at what happened with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers just yesterday. Against a normally tough New Orleans Saints defense, 2023 undrafted free agent Sean Tucker ran for 136 yards while 2024 fourth-rounder Bucky Irving ran for 81.

Good rushers don’t grow on trees, but they’re not exactly low in stock either.

Plus, what Carolina could possibly get in exchange for Hubbard probably won’t be worth the contradiction that would follow.

Canales—since the spring—has heralded Hubbard for his attitude, his approach and his leadership. In fact, he praised him again today.

“It’s just the way that he comes to work every day with the focus and mentality to get better. He truly has that mentality that I love, that I wish we can all grow to as a group,” Canales said of Hubbard stepping up in 2024. “And he improves—every day in practice, game to game in the different ways he presses runs or picks up protection or runs certain routes. He’s in this relentless pursuit to find his best, and that’s the leadership that we need.”

In the grander scheme of Carolina’s current situation, Canales is out to establish a much-needed culture—not just the run.

It’s what pushed him to make the tough decision to throw in veteran quarterback Andy Dalton for Bryce Young, who simply wasn’t up to snuff. Although the Panthers would love to see the 2023 No. 1 overall pick eventually “get it,” his play was dragging down the work of his teammates.

Selling off Hubbard, a player who the head coach firmly believes has done everything the right way, would be like selling off a piece of the team’s soul. What kind of message would that send to rest of the locker room?

Instead of looking at Brooks’ impending return as an urgent problem, look at it as a good one. After all, isn’t having two capable running backs better than having one?

That’s a strategy that certainly works in the NFL, and one that this very franchise has its own memorable history with. Remember when Stephen Davis and DeShaun Foster helped run Carolina to Super Bowl XXXVIII? And remember when Jonathan Stewart and DeAngelo Williams smashed and dashed their way through a handful of seasons together?

These Panthers will not make this year’s Super Bowl like Davis and Foster did. They won’t even be as competitive as most of those teams Stewart and Williams were on.

They do, however, have a culture to build—and Hubbard is a big part of it.

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