Dave Canales confronts scrutiny after distressing Carolina Panthers loss

The Washington Commanders finished just one game better than the Carolina Panthers a season ago. It is difficult to believe that was ever the case based on their Week 7 encounter.

Both teams cut ties with their general manager and head coach. They made some notable additions in free agency. After one offseason, the once comparably dysfunctional Commanders made the Panthers look like the scout team.

Worst of all, they did it without Jayden Daniels. The rookie sensation only played one drive before being sidelined with a rib injury. That didn’t stop the Commanders from putting up 40 points and over 400 yards of total offense.

Carolina Panthers' defense hits new lows in Week 7

For the defense, this has to be rock bottom. Seven games into the season, Ejiro Evero’s unit is allowing just under 35 points per game.

This puts them in line with some historically bad defenses. However, this was a price Dan Morgan was bound to pay when dumping defensive assets to invest in offensive firepower this offseason.

After Sunday’s loss, Dave Canales said “Honestly, I love our scheme,” when speaking to the Panthers' defensive struggles. An answer he doubled down on, redirecting the blame away from the coaching staff and toward a talent-depleted defense.

Regardless, scoring one touchdown on a sole trip to the red zone did not put the defense in a good spot. The offense's output was embarrassing, but Canales was unwilling to call it that.

"I’m proud of our guys. I’m proud of the work that we do. So for me, I never go to that place. For me it’s about honoring the guys who are there. That try their butts off in practice. And I’m proud of that. But it’s gotta show up on game day. We can have great weeks of practice, or whatever it is, but the carry over, the mentality — that part needs to be consistent for four quarters."

- Dave Canales via Charlotte Observer

The first-year head coach is more soft-spoken. His once cheerful, lively tone is beginning to show hints of suffering. His tireless pursuit of maintaining an optimistic message is beginning to rub many the wrong way.

Publicly, Canales is not calling the situation for what it is. His locker room - for the second time this season - is losing patience. Some are even calling each other out.

When asked about signs of deflation amongst players, Canales dismissed the idea.

"Honestly, the way we came out and just battled in the second half, they had a good reset mentality to them. There was still some execution stuff that didn’t happen. But to be able to just stay with it. To continue to run hard. To continue to hit. To continue to run the ball the way we wanted to and trying to create some balance and get those first downs. I thought it showed a lot of character for the guys."

- Dave Canales

Carolina Panthers are sticking with struggling Andy Dalton

The Panthers have not reached the point where players are not trying. Instead, certain individuals are not meeting their potential.

It starts with Andy Dalton. The veteran signal-caller who provided a much-needed spark in his first start in Week 3 is beginning to look more like a one-hit-wonder.

“It just wasn’t good enough. And that’s true. And he knows that,” Canales said of Dalton’s performance.

He made some throws that even Canales failed to sugarcoat. His coach did not need to look at the tape to conclude that he should have thrown the ball away on his first interception.

Despite many calling for the team to go back to Bryce Young, Canales asserts Dalton will remain the Panthers’ starter.

A recurring theme in every post-game press conference is Canales citing the "fundamentals" as where the Panthers need to improve to gain traction. This is a tall order for a team that may just not be as good at football as 31 other teams. A notion that Canales subtly slips into his post-game interviews.

The Panthers are set to travel to Mile High to take on the Denver Broncos in Week 8. With a new opponent comes a different challenge. The Panthers' offense will need to reach new heights against a defense that has silenced critics so far.

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