5 burning questions following the Carolina Panthers' blowout in Week 1
By Ricky Raines
Carolina Panthers' play-calling on offense
We were terrible at all phases yesterday – would it help for Dave Canales to relinquish offensive play-calling and focus on ‘herding the cats’ as a whole? - Ben Ferguson
I’ll start by saying that it’s likely a bit reactive to change play-calling duties after just one contest. Especially considering Dave Canales' offensive background and progressive thinking.
But, Ben, I can understand your train of thinking for attempting to declutter the mind of a first-time head coach. For Canales specifically, however, his play-calling is part of his sell.
Offensive coordinator Brad Idzik has never called plays. I’m not sure it would give the head ball coach much reprieve to hand off his bread-and-butter to a novice either. And I like Idzik a lot, that's no dig. It's just the current state of affairs and the obvious vision sold before his appointment.
For my money’s worth, and I spoke to this already in the opening of this article, Canales, Bryce Young, and the whole defense all had their plans ripped away from them at such an early juncture of the game in Week 1 at the New Orleans Saints. They got outcoach and outplayed and couldn’t regain composure. It was a bad look all around.
I want to use another mulligan and let the 2024 Carolina Panthers tee off again. I will add that the pre-snap operation needs to be more concise. This would afford the quarterback and offensive line more time to communicate at the line of scrimmage and adjust/flip protections in pressure looks.
That’s one of the first elements I’d prioritize, personally. This can carry over into a more confident and comfortable execution from everyone involved. Or so we'd hope.
Is this death? – Mathieu Loué
I’ve always heard the expression, “the sweet release of death”. Sunday wasn’t sweet. And it didn't release anything other than wrath. Therefore, I’m voting ‘no’, Mathieu.
Hope I’m right, or else I then have to wonder if we’re having this conversation from the penthouse on the top floor, or the sweltering hot basement of the building.