The Carolina Panthers have a tremendous opportunity to enter uncharted territory against the New Orleans Saints. A win against their lowly division rival would take Dave Canales' squad to 6-4, which is the best record this club has had since Ron Rivera was head coach.
It would be easy for players and coaches to get wrapped up in the adulation. At the same time, things can change quickly in the NFL, so sticking to the same principles, maintaining the same focus, and strengthening their togetherness are key to securing another triumph on home turf.
And even though it hasn't happened yet, Canales gave the strongest indicator so far that big things could be in the immediate future of wide receiver Jalen Coker.
Carolina Panthers believe a Jalen Coker breakout performance is coming
It's been a slow burn in terms of targets and receptions for Coker since his return from injured reserve. The Panthers have brought him along gradually, and they have several other mouths to feed. However, Canales indicated that he anticipates the former Holy Cross standout having a breakout performance in the near future.
"I'm expecting a big game from Jalen Coker at some point coming up, you know, as he continues to show what he's doing out there. He looked great again."Dave Canales via Panthers.com
This is what fans suspected. It was always going to take Coker time to get going. He's finding other ways to contribute, becoming a surprisingly good blocker in the run game while continuing his sharp ascent as a route runner. His dedication will be rewarded at some stage, and this looks like a good game to do just that.
Although the Saints are only giving up 203.9 yards per game through the air, it's worth noting that teams often have commanding leads. This allows them to run the football late in games to maintain control, so the stat is a little misleading.
The Panthers will once again rely heavily on their ground attack. Opposing teams will now know the danger that Rico Dowdle possesses, so New Orleans will stack the box to limit his impact. That should open up the play-action game, and Coker might feast from the slot if the looks are there.
Coker has featured three times this season, bringing in four receptions from seven targets for 45 receiving yards. That should have provided enough time to find his football legs again, so it might not be much longer before Panthers fans are reveling in a profitable contest from the 2024 undrafted free agent.
And who knows, perhaps that will come this weekend at Bank of America Stadium.