What Panthers head coach Dave Canales said after team's horrific 0-2 start

Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales speaks on the team's Week 2 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers.

Schuyler Callihan | Sep 15, 2024

Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

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Carolina Panthers

It wasn't 47-10, but it wasn't necessarily an improved product either. The Carolina Panthers struggled to do anything on offense for the second straight week to open up the season and were dominated by the Los Angeles Chargers, 26-3, in their home opener.

Panthers head coach Dave Canales met with the media shortly after the game to discuss Sunday's loss.

Opening Statement

"Saw some improvements in terms of taking care of the ball. We'd like to not have that interception. We would like to be clean with the football. Good step right there. The run game, I was excited about seeing where we were going to go with the run game. It really just came down to third down again. Offensively, defensively, just not acceptable from a coaching standpoint, from a player standpoint, all of us. We all have to take our responsibility on the third down so we can get more opportunities to run the ball, to throw our actions, to do those things that we really want to do, that we see ourselves heading towards. We really didn't give ourselves a chance there. I couldn't ask this group to play harder than they did. There was great effort on the field. Everybody was laying out all the way through the whole time, trying to make the most of this game right there. We come out of the half, get the ball back, just really hoping to start to get some rhythm. We really never found it. Again, just another frustrating day for the whole group. But my message to the team was just really valuing the way that they attacked the work, the way that they gave great effort and did all those things. We just have a lot to clean up. The focus this week is going to be third down as a group."

Throwing short of the sticks

"They're built in. But the whole thing, again, we have to evaluate. Just trying to be able to make sure we're challenging the sticks, try to put ourselves in situations right there. Some of it was by design. The plays come off how they will. But in general, we had opportunities on both sides of third downs to make plays. It comes down to making plays. For sure, as the head coach and responsible for the offense, I have to make sure that I continue to work with our staff to really figure out what those things are that are going to give us a chance to be successful."

Bryce Young's confidence

"Well, I got to look at the film. I got to talk to him some more. I think as a group, offensively, defensively, this is a group that's working their tails off trying to get things going to try to find our style of football. I can't make any specific comments about any one player particularly. As you can understand, we're all frustrated and would like to play better football."

Whether he considered putting in Andy Dalton

"Bryce is our quarterback. I'd love to see this thing continue to take the next steps offensively right now."

If Bryce Young will start next week

"Bryce is our quarterback. We're going to just continue to shore up and fix the things we need to fundamentally, from a scheme standpoint, all those things. These are all valuable reps, all valuable games. We'll learn a lot from this game and hopefully will take another step (next) week."

Message to the players

"Regardless of the outcome, it's trusting the process. It's going right back to work. It's watching the film, improving the fundamental things that we can control. Again, just honing in on things that we feel we can execute. Really, the process won't change. It's got to be that type of focus (and) intentionality. It requires a lot of discipline to continue to stay with the process that we have in place and how to work and how to go about it. Until I call a perfect game, until anybody plays a perfect game, we have things to work on as a group. This is a very accountable group from a staff and player standpoint. We'll keep just staying together and working on the issues that we need to address."

Frustration on the sideline

"We're all frustrated. It comes down to execution, every phase. We're all frustrated, so... I think that we're all in the same boat there. We all feel the same way about going back to our work, about controlling the controllables. Definitely, it is a frustrating time. The guys are staying together. They're talking through stuff. Emotions and passion run hard, especially in this league. We got to continue to work to improve."

Maintaining Bryce Young's confidence

"It's about the process. Just go right back to work regardless of the outcomes. We have to continue to have that discipline, to go back to our fundamentals, to fix our basics, to continue to become us, figure out the things that we have to do to be successful."

Any improvements from last week

"I thought the effort was great last week. I thought it was great this week. We challenged the guys. They took the challenge, had a great week of practice. Saw that. Again, talked about the improvement with the ball. We'd love a zero, we’d love a doughnut in terms of the turnovers there. Saw improvement in special teams. Johnny [Hekker] had a fantastic punt inside the five. Put it at the one-yard line. The coverage units were solid. The return units were solid. I love that we took a step there. Saw improvement in the run game. Again, I can't say the run game was great. We just didn't give enough opportunities to get back to it. I saw the defense play the run better. A couple plays got out on us, but for the most part guys were more disciplined about where they're supposed to be, the techniques, running and hitting. I really appreciate the response from the guys that way."

If the offensive growing pains were expected

"Yeah, I expected us to take time to become us, to figure out the things that we do well. We're still in that process. I don't like to set really expectations. What I need to do is continue to gather information, gather this game, gather the next one, look at the film, really just continue to fine-tune and to hone into the things we feel like we can execute."