The Carolina Panthers got a massive boost without lifting a finger during their bye week. And head coach Dave Canales admitted to perhaps getting a little too carried away with what was unfolding in front of his eyes.
Even though his old team, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, stands between Carolina and a long-awaited return to the NFC South summit, Canales isn't looking back with nostalgia. He's all about what comes next, and that involves getting the Panthers where they haven't been for years.
To the playoffs, and potentially beyond.
Dave Canales was just like every Carolina Panthers fan over the bye week
That dream got a bit closer to becoming a reality. The New Orleans Saints, who the Panthers face coming off their bye in Week 15, turned in a mesmerizing effort to topple the Buccaneers on the road. It was an upset that nobody saw coming, and Canales freely admitted to becoming emotionally invested from the comfort of his own home.
Dave Canales says he did watch yesterday’s Saint vs Bucs game and was admittedly “emotionally charged.”
— Carolina Blitz (@KeepBlitzin) December 8, 2025
I followed up and asked if he was cheering for the Saints. His reply…“anything helps” pic.twitter.com/Fcje44Pl9B
Canales knows what a massive opportunity awaits his squad at the business end of the campaign. The Panthers are playing meaningful football in December. They want to continue that into the knockout rounds, and the Saints gave them a slight helping hand. Even so, the situation hasn't changed, and unless Carolina takes care of itself, the team's aspirations will be for nothing.
That will be the message. The Panthers had the chance to view things from a fan perspective in Week 14. But now, it's back to the task at hand.
Focus on what you can control. If the Panthers get any help from elsewhere, that's a bonus. However, if their fate is left to the fortunes of others, there is already a problem.
Fortunately, everything is in front of the Panthers. They have three games against divisional opposition — two of which are versus the Buccaneers. Sam Darnold and the Seattle Seahawks are also visiting Bank of America Stadium, which might not be as significant if anything major transpires beforehand.
Regardless of how things go, it's been a long time since the Panthers found themselves in this position. Interim head coach Steve Wilks got them close in 2022, but nothing like this. One could forgive Canales for getting emotionally invested. As he said, it affects everything he is working so hard to build.
Momentum is with the Panthers, not the Buccaneers. They are still a little too erratic to say for sure how this will go. But make no mistake, it's going to be a fun ride.
And the future is incredibly bright.