All the talk after the Carolina Panthers' shocking loss to the New Orleans Saints centered on a lack of professionalism and taking their opponent lightly. Standards slipped as everyone got wrapped up in their positive headlines. They paid a heavy price.
Players spoke openly about this after the game. Left tackle Ikem Ekwonu, rookie edge rusher Nic Scourton, and tight end Ja'Tavion Sanders all hinted that things weren't as they seemed in the days before and in the hours leading up to the game. Head coach Dave Canales and other established figures spoke about the need to stay focused, but it didn't work.
This should be a massive wake-up call for everyone in the organization. Fans were livid over these revelations, and this represented a harsh lesson about what it takes to win every week, regardless of records.
Dave Canales admitted that his Carolina Panthers players let standards slip in Week 10
Canales elaborated on this, stating that he made everyone aware that the intensity and execution at practices weren't up to the required standard. He didn't seem overly concerned, but this cannot happen again.
"We have a standard for how we work and when it’s not up to standard, it’s my job as the head coach to make sure they’re aware of it. I made them aware of it. I’ve been in the league for a while now. And sometimes you have a bad practice and you play great on Sunday. Sometimes there’s a fantastic practice and you don’t get the results you want."Dave Canales via The Athletic
Just why some players thought it was acceptable to take their foot off the gas at such a critical stage of the campaign is anyone's guess. It's been a long time since this organization enjoyed any prolonged success, so most of them probably don't know how to handle it. They got big-headed, believing they could easily beat the Saints without much effort. They were wrong.
Canales tried to get his squad to raise the tempo. But his words fell on deaf ears, given their lackluster effort at Bank of America Stadium.
It was a gut-punch that denied the Panthers a chance to go two games over .500. However, with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Atlanta Falcons also losing, Carolina fortunately didn't give up any ground in the NFC South championship race.
In other words, they got away with it this time. But if Canales doesn't keep a closer eye on his players and how they prepare for games, they will be punished.
Keep your eye on the prize. And let this be a teaching moment of what can happen if complacency becomes an issue.