Panthers coach Dave Canales believes Carolina’s best football is yet to come.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. β Scoring two major upsets in a single season may seem satisfactory for many NFL teams, but Carolina Panthers coach Dave Canales believes the job is not finished.
CarolinaΒ scored a 31-28 win over the Los Angeles Rams on Sunday, overcoming a 10-point underdog status. It was their second-biggest upset of the season. In Week 9, the Panthers were 13.5-point underdogs to the Green Bay Packers and stole a win on the road.
Sunday’s win keeps Carolina in the NFC South title conversation, and Canales assures that the best is yet to come for this Panthers team.
“We have seen the Rams’ best football, and they’ve been playing amazing, and I said no one’s seen our best yet,” Canales said after Sunday’s game, recalling what he told the team going into the contest. “Our best football is still out there in front of us, and that’s our goal is to find it.”
Quarterback Bryce Young threw three touchdown passes, including a 43-yard strike to Tetairoa McMillan with six minutes left for the game-winning score. Derrick Brown’s strip sack sealed the win.
Canales and his players insist the Panthers haven’t peaked yet β a mentality they credit to the team’s humility.
“It’s playing games where we’re humbled by not having great execution and knowing that we have to get back to our basics, our fundamentals and execution, and this is a humble group,” Canales said.
Young echoed that sentiment when asked about the team’s culture.
“We have a bunch of guys that come in and just focus on the work,” Young said. “They want to be better, they want to grow, they wanna watch and see how we can grow as a unit, as a team. It’s part of the culture.”
That approach has helped Carolina avoid consecutive losses since an 0-2 start. When asked how his trust in teammates never wavers despite setbacks like last week’s loss to San Francisco, Young was emphatic.
“It never wavers,” Young said. “It’s a competitive league. There’s going to be ups and downs, but I know my guys. I know how they work. I know who they are. I know the competitors they are. No matter what, I always have confidence in them.”
Canales has seen that confidence play out in critical moments. Young’s game-winning touchdown was his 11th career game-winning drive, making him the youngest player in NFL history to reach that milestone.
“The thing that I appreciate the most about Bryce is regardless of the moment, regardless of the time in the game or the score, when I put the ball in his hands, he stays the same,” Canales said. “He stays even. His eyes are in the right place and then he executes the play and finds his best available receiver.”
Young finished 15 of 20 for 206 yards and three touchdowns, including two fourth-down scoring strikes. When asked about those high-stakes conversions, Young downplayed the drama.
“I trust my guys,” Young said. “I’m super grateful to have guys like that on the perimeter that I trust. I trust them to win one-on-ones, trust them with 50/50 balls, trust them to throw them open, whatever it may be.”
Canales pointed to defensive tackle Derrick Brown as another example of the team’s steady leadership. Brown had a deflection on Carolina’s first interception and delivered the game-sealing strip sack of Matthew Stafford.
“There’s a resilience and depth of character with Derrick where he’s not concerned with what’s happening on the other side of the ball,” Canales said. “Whatever the score is, we’re up, we’re down, you’re gonna get the same Derrick Brown.”
Both coach and quarterback praised the home crowd for creating a hostile environment despite wet conditions at Bank of America Stadium, particularly on late-game third downs.
“Bank of America Stadium, the fans showed up in the weather, it was wet, they were loud,” Canales said. “The third downs, especially at the end, we can’t take those things for granted and the edge that it gives us on our rushes.”
Young said the energy was reflected to the team on the field.
“For the Carolinas to come and support us, we take a lot of pride in protecting the bank,” he said. “It’s a huge advantage. It means a lot, it affects the game, so we’re super grateful for the fan base.”
The victory moved Carolina within a half-game of Tampa Bay for the NFC South lead heading into a Week 14 bye. The Panthers have four games remaining after the break, including three division matchups.
But Young emphasized the team won’t look too far ahead.
“We want to take it one game at a time,” Young said. “There’s stuff we can’t control, stuff that we can’t look too far ahead, but we know that there’s stuff at stake for us. It’s just being consistent with our process. That’s the thing about this team, it’s never needed motivation, it’s never needed incentive to go and chase greatness.”
Canales agrees that mindset will determine whether the Panthers can realize the potential he believes they possess.
“Our guys came together offensively and really executed today,” Canales said. “Our best football is still out there in front of us and that’s our goal is to find it.”