The Carolina Panthers are preparing for their first home playoff game in a decade.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. β With the NFL playoffs returning to Charlotte, Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales and quarterback Bryce Young reflected on Tuesday about what this opportunity means to the team.
The Panthers host the Rams on Saturday at Bank of America Stadium. It’s Carolina’s first playoff appearance since the 2017 season and the team’s first home playoff game since 2015.
Despite being 10.5-point underdogs, the team remains committed to believing in the players around them.
“We’re always focused on who’s in the building,” said quarterback Bryce Young, who will make his playoff debut. “We have all the confidence, all the belief within the building with each other.”
Head coach Dave Canales, who guided the Panthers to an NFC South title after a 5-12 season in 2024, expressed pride in his team’s journey while acknowledging the challenge ahead against a Rams team riding quarterback Matthew Stafford’s hot streak.
“I understand that there’s always the favorites and there’s always the point spread and all those things,” Canales said. “We can’t really think about that. What matters to us is to play our best football, to make sure that we execute, and it’s gonna come back to the fundamentals.”
The Panthers will look to replicate their earlier success against Los Angeles, when they forced three turnovers from Stafford by affecting the pocket and making him uncomfortable. Canales praised his defense’s evolution from worst in the league last year to a middle-of-the-pack unit this season, crediting coordinator Ejiro Evero and key additions through free agency and the draft.
One of those additions, cornerback Mike Jackson, leads the NFL in pass breakups but remains overshadowed by teammate Jaycee Horn. Canales believes Jackson deserves more recognition.
“Mike Jack doesn’t get enough praise,” Canales said. “His body language and demeanor in a walkthrough rep, he’s in his stance just like he would be in a game.”
Young, who posted the second-best passer rating in Panthers history during the first Rams matchup, deflected questions about personal redemption after a difficult rookie season.Β
“This isn’t about me. This isn’t about any individual,” Young said. “We have a group of guys that we all play for each other. I’m excited for this group, more so than anything.”
The Panthers face personnel decisions regarding offensive lineman Robert Hunt and receiver David Moore, both of whom could return after extended absences. Canales called it a “difficult decision” balancing the contributions of players who got them to this point against the talent boost returnees could provide.
“The plan was always that Rob and D-Mo were gonna help us do that,” Canales said, adding that Hunt “looked great” in Tuesday’s practice.
Young acknowledged the physical toll of a long season, noting “everyone’s dealing with something” at this point, but expressed gratitude for teammates “putting their bodies on the line.”
The Panthers clinched their playoff berth Sunday night when Atlanta beat New Orleans, creating a three-way tie atop the NFC South that the Panthers won. Young admitted he watched only the final minutes, checking ESPN updates while trying to distract himself. Once Carolina’s spot was secured, the celebration was brief.
“There’s no honeymoon,” Young said. “We have to do the work now. We’re excited for the process, for the work, and that’s where our focus is.”
Canales, who reached the playoffs multiple times as an assistant coach, emphasized the importance of home-field advantage and the energy Bank of America Stadium will provide. He wants his young team to embrace the moment without letting it distract from execution.
“It’s gonna be loud, it’s gonna be just right, and these are the exact moments I want them to be able to appreciate those things, but not to let that distract them from just executing and doing their job,” Canales said.
For a franchise that has endured years of struggle, Saturday represents validation of a patient rebuilding process focused on incremental improvement and high-character players. But Young dismissed any notion that his team needed outside validation.
“Validation was never anything we were looking for or needed,” Young said. “We’ve always and always will have belief in this building.”
The Panthers and Rams kick off at 4:30 p.m. on Saturday at Bank of America Stadium.