Dave Canales wasn't happy this time last week. The Carolina Panthers let themselves down against the New Orleans Saints, taking them lightly and paying a heavy price. The head coach demanded to see a response from his players, and he got precisely that.
Carolina turned the page quickly. They dug deep, fighting their way back from an early deficit to secure a memorable overtime victory over the Atlanta Falcons in Week 11. And with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers falling to the Buffalo Bills, the Panthers are now just half a game out of first place in the NFC South.
This is better than even the brightest optimist envisaged. But for Canales, it's his vision coming to life.
Carolina Panthers are precisely where Dave Canales envisaged through 11 games
The second-year head coach isn't getting carried away. Canales is still taking things one week at a time, and he knows that more testing challenges are ahead. But he is also aware of the significant opportunity awaiting his squad in the coming weeks.
"That's exactly the dream and the vision that I hoped for this group. If we play good, complementary football for a long time, we'll put ourselves in a position for the finish. We're in that position right now, but we've got a lot of work, and there are a lot of great teams. For us, the focus is just one week at a time. We're going to regroup. We're going to meet tomorrow, and then we're going to play the Niners on Monday night."Dave Canales
Canales on being a half-game out of 1st place: What he envisioned. pic.twitter.com/JShXPVdsCD
— Joe Person (@josephperson) November 16, 2025
Staying the course is crucial. The Panthers are in tremendous form right now, but their playoff fate remains precarious. They have two difficult games before the bye. They also have to play the Buccaneers twice down the stretch, which could ultimately decide their fate in the division championship race.
This is a young team still learning and growing together. The Panthers are not the finished article just yet, but the belief and resolve in the locker room cannot be disputed. Canales has changed the culture for the better. And even if they don't quite do enough to topple Tampa Bay, this project is well on track.
It feels different. The Panthers would have capitulated in this scenario under previous regimes, but this team is made of sterner stuff with Canales leading the charge. Their collective purpose with everyone buying in has been a refreshing change of pace, and this latest fightback has fans more enthused than ever.
The Panthers cannot look too far ahead. They must focus on the next challenge and nothing more. And make no mistake: Canales will demand nothing less from his players as they quickly emerge as one of the league's legitimate surprise packages.