Dave Canales' inexperience laughably evident in Carolina Panthers' Week 6 loss

Momentum is everything in the NFL. The Carolina Panthers have been starved of it for so long that most associated with the franchise have forgotten what it feels like. That continued with self-inflicted wounds aplenty during their loss against the Atlanta Falcons in Week 6.

Credit the Panthers for being competitive in the face of adversity. They are dealing with some significant injury issues right now and were under-strength defensively. This proved to be their undoing, but it was Dave Canales who shot himself in the foot with a critical error in judgment that played a leading role in the overall outcome.

Down eight in the fourth quarter and moving downfield behind a strong ground game, Canales went away from this tone-setting method of moving the chains that were proving so profitable. He called a passing play - to returning tight end Ian Thomas, no less - which resulted in veteran quarterback Andy Dalton displaying a wayward gift for Falcons cornerback A.J. Terrell en route to an interception.

Dave Canales' inexperience cost the Carolina Panthers in a big moment

Moments change games. Kirk Cousins wasn't going to waste this present, leading the Falcons on a drive that saw them pound the Panthers into submission and put the exclamation point on proceedings. It was an infuriating development that could have been avoided.

Canales preached the importance of running the football before his first season as Panthers head coach. He wanted this to be a run-first offense and become stubborn with their intentions. That's not come to fruition as yet despite the offensive line boasting the physical tools to carve open holes for running back Chuba Hubbard to do damage.

The ground attack was punishing the Falcons at a pivotal stage of the contest. Why Canales went away from this with the game's fate potentially at stake when it was working so well is anyone's guess, but it's another sign of the fine margins between success and failure that decide a coach's fate when it's all said and done.

This isn't saying Canales' job status isn't secure - far from it. The Panthers must stick with the head coach through thick and thin this season and into the future. They need stability. They need a long-term plan to stick to it. However, the former Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator needs to rid himself of the costly situational management issues that have blighted Carolina's hopes through Week 6.

Things don't get any easier for the Panthers next time around when they travel to a resurgent Washington Commanders outfit. Carolina is 1-5 and staring down the barrel of yet another losing year under David Tepper's ownership. Canales has the enthusiasm and innovative ideas to make it work, but there are some severe growing pains to navigate first.

Canales' lack of experience in a prominent position of power was laughably evident during the loss. Just stick to what's working at the time. Don't try to get too cute when there is no need whatsoever. It was a damning mistake that the team paid a heavy price for.

The Panthers are trying to force their way through some troubling waters right now. The last thing they need is Canales complicating matters further. They've got enough problems to deal with.

There were some positives to take. Canales will find them with his glass-half-full mentality. But galvanizing this group moving forward is a monumental challenge not for the faint of heart.

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