Carolina Panthers tight end production
It's been a long time since the Carolina Panthers had legitimate production at the tight end production. Matt Rhule's decision to let Greg Olsen walk in 2020 for the Seattle Seahawks was a grave error in judgment. What followed was a constant stream of failed acquisitions and draft picks who couldn't lace the Pro Bowler's cleats.
Dave Canales wanted to get the tight-end position more involved within his scheme. It took time, but there's been some encouraging progress of late.
Rookie fourth-rounder Ja'Tavion Sanders looks like a long-term option after flashing enormous promise so far. He's already got more receiving yards than any tight end since Olsen. The former Texas star is only going to get better with more experience.
Sanders suffered an unfortunate neck injury and missed Week 13's loss against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Canales showed tremendous faith in Tommy Tremble, who took over the No. 1 spot and enhanced his chances of an extended stay beyond the campaign with an assured contribution to Carolina's passing attack.
Every good team has a strong tight-end safety valve in the passing game. Carolina's getting back on track in that regard following years of personnel mismanagement.
Dave Canales' play-calling
Dave Canales is a first-year head coach. He got thrust into the limelight with a surprising promotion after one season calling plays with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. There were always going to be some growing pains during his pivotal transition to the top job.
This was no more evident than in Canales' play-calling. There was hesitancy and poor situational management earlier in the campaign. The rhythm just wasn't there aside from an impressive display in Week 3 at the Las Vegas Raiders. The progressive coach couldn't find the right balance and the Panthers struggled to generate any consistent momentum.
Trust is everything, especially between the head coach and quarterback. Canales and Young are building that exponentially. You can see it in the creative schemes being devised from week to week. You can see how well everything is being executed no matter the situation.
The Panthers have some difficult challenges upcoming over the next five games before their campaign concludes. If Canales enhances his offensive strategies further down the stretch, Carolina could be playing spoiler to a few potential playoff contenders when push comes to shove.