It was a nauseating homecoming for Dave Canales. The result on the field left him feeling “just sick”. The Carolina Panthers were embarrassed by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, who dominated just about every moment.
Throughout the Panthers' struggles, Canales never fails to take accountability. He does not lose his cool and refrains from outwardly throwing his players under the bus.
Xavier Legette has wrestled his fair share of issues with contested catches and drops, but he has escaped the criticism of his head coach. The rookie wide receiver has been statistically unimpressive in 2024. Adding salt to the wound has been other first-year wideouts — four of which have eclipsed the 1,000-yard mark on the season.
"It was just near-misses. Stuff that we gotta watch and grow from. I just credit those guys for continuing to work at it, continuing to give them opportunities. That’s the only way we’re going to be able to improve that: to continue having those opps down the field, to figure out a way to get him the ball, and for Xavier to get his surface the way he needs it and all that, so that’s part of our progress that we have to continue to attack."Dave Canales via The Charlotte Observer
The former South Carolina standout was drafted for his superior physical ability. In college, he could jump out of the gym, effortlessly high-pointing the ball over opposing secondaries. Canales likely recognizes his skill set will need time to be polished. Yet, the clock is ticking.
This organization continually proves to be audacious. They are utterly unafraid to cut bait with young players who fail to meet expectations. An idealist, Canales often fails to explicitly put the writing on the wall.
Dave Canales believes the Carolina Panthers held back in Week 17
The Panthers' coach never directly mentions the obvious. The fact the talent on the other team is often superior. A theme exacerbated by some key absences on both sides of the ball.
"So it’s about opportunity. We gave them so many opportunities to continue to build off their momentum and things they were doing. So it’s all of us. And I think, everybody, the guys will get up here and tell you that, that we can all do better in our different areas."Dave Canales via The Charlotte Observer
After Sunday’s loss, his stance was no different. The Panthers struggled in all phases. They could not move the chains on third down. A special teams mishap led to a blocked punt and a Buccaneers touchdown.
Had the Panthers capitalized on a few more opportunities, the demolition that coincided might have been preventable.
Dave Canales must come to grips with the Carolina Panthers' talent gap
Canales leaves the door open. A win might have been an impossible feat. The Panthers’ depth on defense was razor-thin before they lost Josey Jewell and Jaycee Horn to injury.
Baker Mayfield was statistically perfect against his former team. The journeyman looked like a bona fide NFL MVP candidate. The Panthers' dissipated defense was smaller, slower, and weaker than Tampa Bay's impressive offensive unit.
"We got our work cut out for us. We got a long way to go from a progress standpoint. While we’ve seen growth in a lot of areas, we gotta be able to play this division tough. And we have to be able to match up with these guys offensively, defensively, all those things. And so this is the litmus test. It starts with the division, and this is a tough division in terms of playing the Buccaneers, especially when they’re finding their good ball. But we have to be able to finish and find our good ball late in the season."Dave Canales via The Charlotte Observer
The Panthers head coach understands there is a lot of room for growth. Although he has conviction his team could have played better, he recognizes that on paper they need to match up better.
A lack of talent has plagued this team all year. Posing a problem Dan Morgan and the front office will have to tackle in the 2025 offseason.
In the meantime, the Panthers will have another chance to derail a team’s playoff hopes. With a loss, the Atlanta Falcons will be mathematically eliminated from the postseason. It would be a cinematic ending to a fairly disappointing year.