The Dave Canales era couldn’t have gotten off to a worse start in Carolina following a 47-10 loss to the New Orleans Saints, leaving real concerns about the future of quarterback Bryce Young.
Canales was hired to fix Young, but the second-year QB had an abysmal start to the season, throwing an interception on his first pass and finishing the game 13 of 30 for 161 yards with two picks for a career-worst 32.3 quarterback rating.
That leaves the 2023 No. 1 draft pick with more career interceptions than touchdown passes during his 17 NFL starts.
Canales had success working with Geno Smith in Seattle and Baker Mayfield in Tampa Bay, but it’s uncertain if he will be able to turn Young around. The 5-foot-10 Young looked rattled throughout the game, overthrew several receivers and appeared to have trouble seeing over the line and finding open receivers.
“Just make it about the basics, and just look at each play as isolated incidents,” Canales said of his advice to Young. “Look at the play, what was the breakdown. Was it timing, was it footwork, (or) was it protection?. There’s a lot of factors that go in, and I think that if you can be objective about looking at the breakdown of the play itself, then it allows you to improve.”
The Panthers defense didn’t give Young any help.
They allowed the Saints to score on their first nine possessions and the Panthers trailed 17-0 before Young completed his first pass. New Orleans built a 30-0 lead in the second quarter before Eddy Pineiro got Carolina on the board with a field goal.
Carolina traded away its top edge rusher Brian Burns this offseason and the team couldn’t manufacture a pass rush. To make matters worse, defensive end Derrick Brown suffered a knee injury that will require surgery and he could miss the remainder of the season.
The secondary, which included several defensive backs who were claimed off waivers or acquired via trades late in the preseason, looked completely out of sync and allowed quarterback Derek Carr to throw three TD passes, including a 59-yarder to a wide-open Rasheed Shaheed on the game’s opening drive.
Even the special teams had blunders, with Johnny Hecker’s partially blocked punt travelling just 11 yards.
Overall, the Panthers were outgained 379-193 and were never competitive.
The 37-point loss, the fourth-worst in team history, has only amplified the bitter frustration of a fan base that hasn’t seen a playoff game since 2017, the year before Jerry Richardson sold the team to current owner David Tepper. One game into the season and the talk on local sports radio is already about who the Panthers should draft No. 1 overall in 2025 to replace Young.
The Panthers entered the season tied with the New York Jets for the worst record in the league since 2018.
The way things look now, they seem destined to hold that spot for awhile.
What’s working
Nothing. The offense couldn’t get a thing going through the air or on the ground, where they were limited to 58 yards rushing. Young was sacked four times, which was on par with last season when he was dumped in the backfield 62 times in 16 starts.
What needs help
Everything. The Panthers failed in all phases, but the lack of defense was particularly perplexing and underscored the magnitude of the offseason losses of Burns, linebacker Frankie Luvu and cornerback Donte Jackson. Carr picked apart the Panthers, completing 19 of 23 passes for 200 yards and three touchdowns, while Alvin Kamara ran for 83 yards and a touchdown as the Saints put up 180 yards on the ground. Tight end Taysom Hill continued to be Carolina’s Kryptonite, gaining 35 yards on seven carries.
“We have got a lot to figure out, we got a lot to work on,” Canales said. “Again, I can’t speak specifically to anything. We have got to get to the film and see the breakdowns of those different runs and the different actions that got out there.”
Stock up
Panthers WR Xavier Legette. The Panthers got a decent glimpse of first-round pick Xavier Legette, who caught four passes for 35 yards on seven targets. Legette will need to emerge quickly if this offense is to have any chance at all. He should see increased action after Jonathan Mingo — who he is competing with for the No. 3 wide receiver spot — fumbled on a reverse and nearly gave the ball away on another occasion.
Stock down
Panthers offensive line. Carolina invested $150 million this past offseason on guards Robert Hunt and Damien Lewis, but didn’t see the production increase. Young spent a good portion of the game on the run after the Panthers fell behind early and there weren’t many holes for Chuba Hubbard or Miles Sanders to exploit. The Panthers averaged just 3.5 yards per offensive play.
Injuries
The Brown injury is significant and will force the Panthers to make a move at an already thin position.
Key numbers
12 — Career interceptions for Bryce Young
11 — Career touchdown passes for Bryce Young.
Next steps
The Panthers return to Charlotte for their home opener against the Chargers on Sunday.
