Dave Canales holds Carolina Panthers offense accountable after subpar showing

Dave Canales is an explosion of enthusiasm and positivity. It's authentic and has had a tremendous impact on his players so far. The Carolina Panthers have a lot of hard work ahead, but the early signs are promising.

There's clarity and conviction in the way Canales approaches every answer during media availability. He's eager to let everyone know that things are being done differently within the Panthers these days. He wants this once-proud organization to be respected around the league - a task that the previous two permanent head coaches couldn't manage en route to departures way before their respective contracts expired.

Dave Canales wants better execution from his Carolina Panthers offense

We're still in the opening exchanges of training camp, but Canales looked irked for the first time after Day 2's practice session. Carolina's offense looked disjointed as the defense thrived. Conditions weren't ideal, but the former Tampa Bay Buccaneers offensive coordinator wasn't happy with the standards on show based on comments via the team's website.

"Offensively, what a great day to deal with a little bit of rain, you know, to deal with a little bit of weather early on in practice, you know, to really heighten the awareness of the ball security, which we're harping on anyway. But we had a couple of drops, we had a ball get punched out, and just the importance of that intentionality regardless of the weather, especially when it's wet."

- Dave Canales via Panthers.com

Canales also called Bryce Young's production "streaky" and stressed the need for better execution. We're still in the camp's infancy and people tend to get carried away one way or another. However, seeing Carolina's man at the helm holding his players accountable while also radiating encouragement makes a refreshing change.

Although Canales wants to build close relationships with this group, he must remember that he's the coach, not their friend. He needs to find the right balance between putting an arm around their shoulder and taking a harsher tone. Anything too far either way isn't going to resonate as well.

It's good that Canales has high standards and wants them kept at all times. It's not going to be perfect every day. Personal pride alone will ensure the defensive side of the football gets a few notable wins along the way. That's all part of the process and is prevalent across every NFL training camp across the country.

This was always going to be a step-by-step evolution into a competitive outfit with Canales leading the charge. Nobody is expecting the Panthers to contend for honors next season. They must learn to walk before they can run. If players keep responding and pushing themselves through the good times and bad, that's all their head coach is looking for.

Things have changed in Carolina. Canales has made sure of that quickly. However, this subpar session from his offense should be a rude awakening regarding how much more there is to do before Week 1 at the New Orleans Saints arrives. A big response is needed - the progressive coach will be expecting nothing less on Day 3 and beyond.

As the old saying goes, Rome wasn't built in a day. And besides, you learn more from losses than you do wins. That's the message Canales should be getting across as a matter of urgency.