Dave Canales discusses QB situation, defensive struggles & more following loss to Falcons

Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales breaks down the loss to Atlanta.

Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Sunday evening, the Carolina Panthers fell 38-20 to the Atlanta Falcons, dropping their record to 1-5 on the season. Shortly after the game wrapped up, head coach Dave Canales met with the media. Here are some of the highlights from his postgame press conference.

Opening Statement 

"Game came down to finish. Down a score right there, we're running the ball really well and throw an interception on that drive. They turn it around into points right away, and the game got away from us there. The message to the team was just consistency. Can we just play consistent football, still working through all the issues that we need to work through, but can we keep taking steps where you come out of a game and you feel like there was balance to what we were doing. (We) had a better day on third down, which allowed us to get into our run game and hit some passes down the field. But it's about the finish, and we have to be able to do that."

Final interception and defensive possession

"For all of us, it's definitely hard when we get into those situations in a one-score game, and we've just got to finish. There's nothing else to say about it than that. Just finish on our terms and be able to punch that in and get a two-point opportunity there and turn it into a game. That's something we've got to continue to learn - how to put a full game together."

Playing with small margin for error

"You just play football. You just keep playing ball. We have a mix of our plays. We're looking at the pictures in between drives and seeing what's available for us, and we've just got to keep playing ball that way. That's just what it is. For my mentality for our team, we try not to make big assumptions and judge the game based on what happens in the course of it. We've just got to go to the next drive. We've got to be ready to just continue to play football, and that's the discipline and mentality we have to have."

Issues defending the ground game

"We've just got to continue to improve those things, look at the film and see where the voids are at and the techniques and the things that are happening there. That's what we'll do tomorrow. We'll get to the film and just try to keep taking the next step for our football team."

The games by Xavier Legette and Jalen Coker

"It's great. It's great to see those guys, to see the investment, to see the work they've been putting in come to life. Guys that we're counting on to make plays, they made the plays that came to them today."

How to help the defense out

"I truly believe in we go to our concepts. We (have to) play our system and our concepts well. Guys got to fit together. We've got to play team defense and stop the plays that are there to stop. I truly believe that. Ejiro [Evero] believes it. We're going to go right back to the film, and we're going to watch it. We're just going to attack the fundamentals and the basics because that's what we've got. If we can just make the story as simple as that, can we get better at our fundamentals, just the basics of what we're doing and how we fit in different type of run styles. That's the challenge for us is to keep taking that next step and improving our football."

On Yosh Nijman's performance

"Yosh had a solid day, settled in some early things. He settled in and played fine football and gave us a chance with the run game and the pass game as we went into the second half. I was really encouraged by how that group settled in and played together as the game went on.

On the challenge of the Trevin Wallace fumble

"It was great. They let me know really early this is close. Any time it's close, it's worth the challenge. It costs you a timeout in the first half, those are the opportunities you've got to see if they can take a second look at it. Falcons did a great job of trying to go fast in that situation, so I knew I was going to have to make a decision there. (Game management coordinator) George Li was upstairs and had a good look on it and gave me the information I needed on it. So, we challenged it, and I was happy to get that."

On deciding to leave Andy Dalton in to finish the game compared to having Bryce Young come in last week 

"We're always having those conversations. Again, we'll keep those conversations private, but in that situation, I just wanted Andy to finish the game."

If Andy Dalton start next week

"Yes, Andy will be playing against the Commanders this week."

Identity of the team

"It starts with the run game, the mix of the passes. Were we perfect on every drive? No, but it felt right. It felt like we could get into our calls. We could be aggressive at times. And we could counter the run game when we needed it. To be able to drive the ball all the way down the field with the mentality of running the ball is fantastic. That just felt so right, and the defense was getting worn out, and we just kept hitting those runs. Those are things we've got to be able to finish."

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