Panthers coach Dave Canales comments on 'huge loss' of Derrick Brown for the season

Carolina already looked like the worst team in the NFL this year and then they lost their best player for the season.

Jan 7, 2024; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers defensive tackle Derrick Brown (95) during the second quarter against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Bank of America Stadium. / Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

No team around the NFL has gotten off to a rougher start to the 2024 season than the Carolina Panthers. To begin, the team totally flopped in its first half of the year against the New Orleans Saints, getting utterly dominated in all three phases en route to a 47-10 loss. After that it got even worse.

The next day we learned via a report from NFL Network's Tom Pelissero that star defensive tackle Derrick Brown suffered a torn meniscus that would require surgery and put him out for the season. Yesterday that news was confirmed when the team placed Brown on injured reserve.

Where the Panthers go from here is anybody's guess, but the guy who will have to figure it out is head coach Dave Canales. Here's what he had to say about losing Brown for the season yesterday, according to Ian Rapoport at NFL Network.

Dave Canales on losing Derrick Brown for the season

"Definitely a huge loss, right? He's one of our best players. That's big shoes to fill, but at the same time, we've got players in there, I want them to know and be encouraged. If you go in, you play with great technique, and you just do your job, we don't need you to make the special plays that Derrick makes. Just do your job, help the guys on either side of you and that's the truth of it. If you can play team football with a bunch of guys, you can have success."

For those who aren't fluent in coach-speak, this essentially boils down to "we're screwed, but we have to keep on playing."

The biggest problem for the Panthers with Brown out is going to be their run defense, which was already arguably their greatest weakness. In their season opener against New Orleans they allowed the Saints to run for 180 yards and two touchdowns on the ground while averaging just under five yards per carry.

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