CHARLOTTE — It's the craziest thing.
You know what's missing from this week's Mailbag? Anger. Seething rage. Even the performative kind.
Usually, when this team loses two games in a row, I need insulated gloves to open the inbox because people are coming in hot, looking for someone to blame and someone (or many someones) to be offered as a ritual sacrifice.
But perhaps we have evolved as a fanbase and recognize what's happening below the surface of the win-loss record.
Progress is being made, and everyone can see it.
The Panthers are now losing games in the normal way that normal teams lose games — by struggling in the red zone, or ill-timed turnovers, or inability to stop one phase of the opponent's game. That's different than it's been in the past, and the fans in the seats can tell.
During the last two weeks at home, the atmosphere has felt different, too, and players can tell. It's not the loudest place in the league or anything, but there's definitely a new feeling coming from the top down, and players can tell. They'll swear they don't listen, but they pick up on what the fans are putting down. (It's a symbiotic relationship, as the fans also reflect the team's energy).
Listen, the Panthers still have a lot of work to do. They're 3-9 with five to play, with the narrowest percentage point margin keeping them from playoff elimination. They are not where they want to be yet.
But you can see the way they're heading, and it makes sense, and it looks like it's coming sooner rather than later. They've found a personality, they've found a style, and as soon as they find enough people to help them implement it, they could be onto something.
Or, I don't know, maybe it's just leftover Thanksgiving vibes (Mmmmm, Thanksgiving leftovers). Either way, onto a batch of mail with a certain measured and calm perspective.
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I have a statement. I was wrong. Bryce Young can play in this league. Bryce can play well in this league. Bryce can go as far as he wants to in this league. If you know where the water he's been drinking since Andy Dalton hurt his thumb comes from, I'd like to know. I don't know, I'm jazzed. I can't believe two straight losses have me floating. Am. I. Crazy??? You're the best old guy I know, thanks Darin. — Deric, Gastonia , NC
You might be crazy, but the most obvious difference in this team in the last four weeks has been the way the quarterback is playing.
The improvement was steady but slow at first, but in the last two weeks, Bryce doesn't need qualifiers. He's playing well by any standard. (Also, the fact that all this happened because of a car wreck should be all the evidence any of us need to take nothing for granted, ever. Life comes at you fast.)
Now, are there things he needs to get better at? Of course. But considering he's still not dealing with a full deck of targets (not having tight end Ja'Tavion Sanders doesn't help, and they're still understaffed at wideout), he's playing a different game than he was the first two weeks of this season.
So, for having the grace to admit he was wrong, Deric is this week's Friend Of The Mailbag, and the appropriate honorarium will be on the way to him soon. Humility has seemingly gone out of fashion, but the rush to make every instant a referendum on forever has caused a lot of people to forget that it's OK to wait and see. Let's make it a thing again, and become a more thoughtful people. We can create the change we want to see in the world.
(Also, I caught up on a lot of mail this week, so if you earned a T-shirt and haven't seen it in the next week or so, let me know. With Deric as my example, I apologize for the delay.)
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Hey Darin! Long time reader first-time question asker! I hope you had a great Thanksgiving! I was just curious: after such a heartbreaking loss, do you think the guys will be able to turn these negative feelings they are all feeling into motivation and further improvement/success next week, or do you think it may cause a slight regression in the confidence they have been displaying?
I have been a Panthers fan since I could first understand the game, back when we had arguably one of our most deflating field goal losses against the Patriots in the Super Bowl. I have seen this team in more configurations than I can count, and what they have brewing right now feels very similar to the '03 team and the '15 team. Do you think they will be able to come through and execute when it matters most, unlike the previous two all-time great Panthers rosters? I'm going to quote Sam Mills, and if you could pass this along to all the guys for me, I would really appreciate it. "KEEP POUNDING." it will all fall in line as long as we just KEEP POUNDING! — Chase, Troutman, NC
Thanksgiving was great, thanks for asking. I love Thanksgiving, it is the greatest of our holidays. As for the football, we'll find out (See, it works!).
I have noticed for the last few weeks that things seem different, and it does remind me of some things.
The 2002 season, in particular, has been on my mind. New coach comes in, wants a new style of football, and starts implementing it. Progress is slow but eventually shows signs of turning.
That 2002 team won its first three, two by one score, and then promptly lost eight in a row because they didn't have the horses yet. But they went to Cleveland in December, won an ugly one (as one does in Cleveland in December), and then closed with four wins in five, setting the stage for a Super Bowl run the following year.
This isn't as dramatic, but it's thematically familiar. And before you start, I'm not suggesting this team is ready to go to the Super Bowl next year. Just that they're building in a positive direction, in a way that we've seen before.
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Consistency is the key, right? Dave Canales wants his guys to focus on the fundamentals and do the same thing, no matter the opponent. I'm sure the fanbase wants to see the same head coach in Week 1 next season. It appears that the defense has benefitted from the same defensive coordinator and scheme as last year, and the offense seems to be taking positive steps forward as well. How much does this play into the success of the Carolina Panthers? — Kevin, Mint Hill, NC
A non-zero amount, that's for sure.
Canales is a big "be the same guy every day" guy, and that's smart. Because it's the best way to gird yourself against the tides of fate, which you have no control over.
So after Sunday's loss, when a number of players said they had to learn how to win close games, Canales was asked how a team makes that happen (he's been other places where they've built up to success over the years).
"Yeah, it's habits," he began. "It's the habits of finishing everything we do, and it's all week long. It's today; it's going through the film, the grades, taking the input, applying it to your week, and taking care of your body early on in the week coming off of the game. It's all these processes that you have to see through.
"It's a habit, and it becomes who you are. It's about practices, and it's about finishing the drills full speed, finishing to the ball, everybody uncovering on the offense, and covering down, chasing the ball defensively, rallying to the ball all being there and visualizing the tackles even though we're not going full tackling during practice. But it's all the finish of the plays and those habits. It's the two-minute situations we do in our walk-throughs, taking it all the way down to those critical situations.
"And just owning that, that when we're in these situations, the execution is the same guys. You've been here; you've taken yourself to this finished process. So, let's just let it happen. Let's let it come, come to live in games."
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After two losses with time left for the other team to drive down the field, it seems that clock management is an issue with Canales. If I remember correctly, Ron Rivera had a similar issue as he was learning to be a head coach. He used one of his assistant coaches to help him focus on the details during the game. Canales needs to pay attention to those details. Granted, our defense is probably a year/and a draft away from being a shutdown defense, so clock management with Tampa Bay and Kansas City by chewing up as much clock as possible would have helped the defense. Do you think Canales would consider this suggestion to improve his coaching? An original Panthers fan (through the highs and lows). — Randy, Fuquay Varina, NC
He already has.
He kept incumbent assistant George Li around as game management coordinator, and Li is in his headset on game days, offering updates on down-and-distance, timing, probabilities, and the like. And George is regarded as very good at what he does.
So Canales is taking input there.
He'd be the first to tell you he doesn't have it all figured out — he admitted last week that this rookie class was growing alongside him in his first year as a head coach — and he's continuing to work on it all.
The Panthers had some 30,000-foot issues to take care of, and they're working on those. As they get closer to the destination, they'll continue to fine-tune the process.
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A close loss after a Thanksgiving filled with turkey, pie, and a turnip or two. I have a few questions for you today. As the "Turnip King of Mecklenburg County," what would be your ideal vehicle for hauling turnips?
About the actual game now, Would you agree that Sunday's game can be blamed on mistakes that just shouldn't be made? I know you don't like to talk about the draft this early but after the comforting play of Bryce Young as of late, do you think we go with defense like James Pearce Jr. or Mason Graham, or should we get a receiver like T-Mac? — Elliott, Hickory, NC
Again, they lost Sunday for very particular, tangible reasons. That's a step. And I think it's fair to talk draft now. I just wasn't going to do it before Halloween, and there were some sickos out there who wanted to start in September.
But now seems reasonable since the college season is actually winding down. If the season ended today, the Panthers would be picking fifth overall in the first round. Also, a lot of people would be saying, "Why did the season end on Tuesday of Week 14?"
That puts them in a position to do a lot of things, all of which could help. You mentioned Graham and Pearce, two guys in positions of significant need (defensive interior and pass rush). You also mentioned T-Mac, which means Arizona wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan (I'll learn to pronounce that soon).
The Panthers can easily justify loading up on defense or trying to find a target for the passing game. Or a number of other areas. They're not yet in a spot where they can zoom in too tightly.
So if you're sitting there at five (or somewhere in the vicinity), you have the luxury of taking the best player on the board, regardless of position, and knowing that he ought to make an impact.
A heavily defensive draft makes sense, but this team has shown time and again that drafting talent rather than need is the most prudent way. They had a Jon Beason at linebacker when they drafted a Luke Kuechly. They had a Dan Morgan at linebacker when they drafted a Jon Beason. And general manager Dan Morgan is well aware of that.
Always draft talent. Never draft for need. It only ends poorly.
Elliott here is obviously a dedicated reader if he remembers my plan to dominate the State Fair turnip-growing contest (which only one person entered in 2023, inspiring my plan). Well, this year's turnip crop was a little late coming in, but I have made the adjustments to my planting calendar for 2025 and will be back. If he remembers that, he's obviously a bright person, which means he didn't just fall off the turnip truck this week.
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I've been hearing chatter about this on the good old Internet. This question comes from somebody who's never been to the stadium, but it is on my list. Does Cam Newton have a legitimate beef with the Panthers organization for, according to him, not inviting him to events or having his likeness up in the stadium, or is all of this due to the fact that he's not retired and technically couldn't still play for any team until that time comes? — Michael, East Falmouth, MA
Figured this was coming. Probably the easiest way to say it is, he's a complicated man and no one understands him but his woman. Wait, no, I'm being told that was John Shaft. At any rate, the point stands.
Everything about Cam Newton is larger than life, from his talent to his highlights to his impact on the organization. Seriously, other than Sam Mills, no single player has been a bigger part of the story of this place. He'll always be a part of the history of this franchise because he did things no one has ever seen before (Cam Newton walked so Lamar Jackson could run) and led a team to a 15-1 record and a Super Bowl.
Plus, he did it all with a smile on his face — even when he had just been hit by a car.
Cam Newton is one of one, and that will always be the case. (And if you needed a reminder, check last week's Throwback Thursday.)
One of the thresholds for the kinds of honors many of the team's Legends get is "being retired." Newton said on a recent podcast that he was done playing football, but as recently as the spring of 2023, when he threw at Auburn's pro day, that seemed to be an open question.
So Cam will always be a part of this place. This is his football home (even if Atlanta is his literal home). There's no separating his story and the team's. I never want to say things that aren't mine to say, but it's easy to imagine that eventually, Cam will be celebrated in all the ways you're talking about and then some.
There's always an element of personal tension that comes with professional football when business decisions are made. But time, the great leveler, fixes most of these things. Thomas Davis had to leave and go play somewhere else, but he didn't really want to. Steve Smith didn't always have this kind of relationship with the organization. It was frosty, to say the least. Hall of Famer Julius Peppers asked to be traded, the GM at the time said no, and he eventually left on his own accord before coming home.
The common thread is they all came home.
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OK, so normally, I prescribe to the Zen of Dan Campbell that no one play loses you the game because you have 150 other plays (80 on defense, 70 other plays on offense today) to build towards a win. But it is hard, nay impossible, not to think that that malarkey catch call on Adam Thielen touchdown lost us the game.
Yes, Eddy could've made those early kicks. Yes, we could've just finished the drives that ended in field goals instead of stalling out in the Red Zone. Yes, we could've been tougher on Bucky Irving. Doing those things would've prevented us from being tied up at the end of regulation. But those are all things that we controlled. The "Not A Touchdown" call was the opposite. Bryce and the offense executed that play perfectly, but it was taken away because "checks notes" his right hand came off of the ball? The ball that didn't bobble or move because he had a vise-like grip on it with his left??? I'm sorry, but this is just as bad as the Jerricho Cotchery's "Not A Catch" in SB50 (Yes, it was a catch. No, I cannot be convinced otherwise.)
We should've won tonight. We are looking better and better each week. The entire attitude around the team and in the stadium is different than it was a month ago. In the immortal words of John Coffey, "I'm tired, boss." Anyway, I guess it's on to Philadelphia. — Nate, Charlotte
I knew Cotchery would get a lot of run this week, and I didn't need the crystal ball in Ben McAdoo's other pants to know that.
Here's what I know for sure. From where I sit in the press box, I thought it was a score. But Thielen's back was to my vantage point.
And that's where Canales came down. It was initially ruled incomplete, so the refs need irrefutable video evidence to overturn it. And they apparently didn't have it.
When league vice president of instant replay Mark Butterworth was asked about it after the game, he said in a pool report that the evidence didn't exist.
"Yes, there were not as many cameras at this game," Butterworth said. "One shot that would've been good, the receiver ended up behind the goalpost, so we lost that angle. Other angles were coming too early or too late."
When asked why there weren't as many cameras at the game, Butterworth replied: "Every game has at least nine broadcast cameras. Someone from broadcasting would have to answer that."
None of this is satisfying to Panthers fans or Thielen, but the players and coaches have taken the high road. Fans are within their rights to hold a grudge against whomever they choose. And they will. And the rest of us are limited to source, our two eyes.
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What is the plan to improve the run defense short term and/or long term? Stopping the run is so fundamental to a defense and it was one of many things that could have won us the game against Tampa. Does the staff view Trevin Wallace as a long-term piece of our run defense or as more of a depth piece? What about the interior linemen not named Derrick Brown? In my opinion, A'Shawn Robinson, Shy Tuttle, and Josey Jewell have definitely shown flashes, but are they good enough to be long-term defensive starters? — Grant, Columbus, OH
The short-term answer is everybody get in your gap and stay there, which is idealistic and subject to human frailty. The long-term answer is more people, and I imagine that process will start happening in March and continue into April.
It's impossible to know the particular futures of individuals until you know who's coming in, because if you draft BPA, that could change things for someone who already plays BPA's position. And you don't want to go down the roster and comment on each individual, because one move could change the futures of a number of people.
But Robinson has been quite good this year, and you wish you'd have been able to see him play like this next to Brown. Brown coming back alone will help the run defense, but I feel like it's reasonable to assume they're going to add to the base of talent in the defensive front seven this offseason.
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2020-2022: If we had an average coaching staff...
2023: If we had an average offense...
2024: If we had an average defense...
2025: ?
I know Dan and company will work this off-season to shore up the defense, and I look forward to (hopefully) seeing that come to fruition. But if Ejiro Evero leaves (maybe not as likely as it was last offseason) and the defense has to learn a new system, possibly even going back to a 4-3, we could see another slow start for the D next season. Getting Brown back will help, and if Shaq Thompson comes back, that should help, too. But I really love to see a dominant, suffocating defense. I guess I am just spoiled by the Sam Mills/Kevin Greene, Four Horsemen, and Luke/TD eras. Do you think Dan and Dave are currently scouting defensive coaches, in case Ejero does leave? — Chris, Greensboro, NC
I think every good front office has layers of contingency plans for many eventualities. And if Evero gets a head coaching job this offseason, there's nothing you can do about that. But we've established he's good at his job, and that they're short on people to run his system at the moment.
Your point about the past is valid. Panthers fans are used to a certain type, and they've been spoiled over the years by having premium talent at middle linebacker in particular and that side of the ball in general.
If they go out and find signature players like Mills, Greene, Peppers, Kuechly, etc. (i.e., three Hall of Famers and one eventual one) in free agency and the draft this offseason, that will solve a lot of problems. Even if they go out and find some guys who are merely great at football, like some Dan Morgans and Thomas Davises and Kawann Shorts, or Mike Minters and Mike Ruckers, that would be cool, too.
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I agree with the commentators that Mike Evans is a unique talent and a first ballot HOF candidate when he stops playing. Recognizing that he has eaten our lunch more times than the school yard bully, why do we continue to play zone against him instead of putting our best shut-down corner on him for every pass play? Also, how can we stop the habit of tackling by the shoestrings so the ball carrier doesn't keep falling forward for 4-5-yard gains? We still have lots of missed tackles and unsuccessful arm tackles, so I foresee a lot of new folks on the horizon this off-season. Don't all of the repetitious defense miscues reflect negatively on Evero and his coaches and limit the likelihood that he will be successful in landing a head coaching job? He's done a good job with improving the play on his side of the ball. I would hate to see him replaced before his contract expires after 2025. Thanks for the great column. It's the highlight of my week. — Thomas, Garner, NC
Again, I think the answer tends to be personnel as opposed to scheme. There was a game in the first half of the season in which one of the projected starting from seven was on the field. No one can scheme it up that much.
Also, Mike Evans is amazing. We all agree on that. But for the sake of honest storytelling, Let's slow down calling everyone who's really good a first-ballot Hall of Famer.
He's 27th on the all-time receiving yards list. Steve Smith is eighth, and he's been stuck on the doorstep of the final 15 to get into the Hall for three years in a row. It's hard for receivers to get in, and it's getting harder every year. Let's not dilute the debate unnecessarily.
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Hi Darin, some friends of mine are so ticked off about Eddy Piñeiro's missed field goals in Sunday's game that they're saying we should get a new kicker. I, however, say we should consider his overall body of work here and give the guy a pass on these misses. I understand that you could make the argument that those misses cost us the game. But I don't think it's quite that simple…there were other times that we failed to take advantage of possible scoring situations. I don't believe one guy should bear all the burden for what is ultimately a TEAM loss. For the most part, Piniero has been solid, and there's no doubt that he's won games for us in the past. I also think he's probably one of the top three or four kickers in the league, so who are you going to replace him with who's better than he is? Am I right, or am I just making excuses for his less-than-stellar play against the Bucs? — Jeff, Concord, NC
I knew I could trust Jeff to be a man of perspective and reason. That's why he has the FOTM shirt and a place in my heart forever (and I anxiously await the review on livermush stuffing from Thanksgiving).
Eddy remains good at kicking field goals. He slipped to third on the all-time accuracy list Sunday with a couple of misses. Harrison Butker moved to number one by not playing (he's on IR), since Justin Tucker is having a down year. They're separated by the margin of 89.212, 89.032, and 88.525. Eddy's number moves more dramatically with each make or miss because he has fewer attempts than those two.
That should be the takeaway. All kickers miss. Tucker's a shabby 70.4 percent this year, but only a loon would get rid of him. John Kasay was one of the best of his era. His 81.883 percent rate is 52nd on the all-time list now and would get him fired in today's NFL (16 of the top 28 all-time are current kickers).
No kicker is perfect, and it's getting easier to find high-level kickers. But you better have a plan if you're going to let a steady 89-percenter go. We've already seen what the alternative looks like.
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I have to write a 6-8 page paper in my elective class Latin American History, and I can choose any topic related to Latin American History. I decided to try to answer the question: Does Mexico have an appetite for the NFL despite not hosting a game in 2024 after poor maintenance of their biggest stadium? Do you know anything about Estadio Azteca and the poor field conditions there? Do you know of anybody that does? If you do, I will cite you in my bibliography! Also, did the team get rid of the Gameday Guide where you can find out the details of the National Anthem singer and all? I couldn't find it this weekend. — Zach, Charlotte
Oh, I don't know, Zach; maybe you could ask your new friend Darren in Arizona whose Mailbag you're sneaking around into. Kids these days have no loyalty. (Seriously, the Cardinals have been there. I've never been able to experience Azteca, so I can't speak to it.)
Gameday remains available on the Panthers app. While we wait to determine if this was just a young person user error, we can all agree it's time for you to GET BACK TO CLASS, ZACH.
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And on that note, let's go lightning round, brought to you by the patron saint of the lightning round Jeff from Fuquay-Varina, to close it out this week.
Trying something different here for the lightning round. Been experimenting with BlueSky lately (@daringantt.bsky.social) as an alternative to/supplement for Twitter. And as an amateur sociologist, I've found some differences between the audiences. So I threw it open to them for questions to see if they were Mailbag-ready.
Is that ref OK? Do you think we win if he doesn't get hurt? — @charlottesquawks.bsky.social
Love Squawks. My dream is to write jokes for them someday. Umpire Carl Paganelli was carted off with a leg injury Sunday, leaving just six officials on the field. No update on his condition, though I committed a journalism and asked the league for an update. [Update: The league replied that there's "no timeline on when he will return to the field."]
What they needed was more cameras, not more people in Foot Locker outfits.
Do you think Canales/Morgan will announce Bryce as the guy going forward before the end of the season? A sort of he's our "franchise" QB decision. Or will they wait until after week 17? — @cpanther591.bsky.social
They haven't been in a rush to make sweeping declarations, and things are working out OK. As Canales said the other day, the answer is kind of revealing itself. As to next year, who knows? That's a long time from now. I know who doesn't seem bothered by it, and that's Young.
See Shaq ever-present on sidelines with team. But have not seen DB. Does he also attend games? — @dwking.bsky.social
Derrick was on the sideline last week for the first time since his knee injury. It's not about supporting or not supporting the team; it's about their own safety. For an injured guy to be down there, he has to be able to protect himself in case football happens in front of him. You don't want a guy with compromised mobility (especially one as valuable as Brown) in a compromised position. But have no fear; Derrick and Shaq are here every day, being good captains and teammates while rehabbing.
When do they move on and get a real DC? — @heymattyp.bsky.social
Oooh, BlueSky was on a little bit of a roll until that one.
Two close losses to good teams. Empty moral victories, or cause for legitimate optimism? — @bobglauber.bsky.social
Whoa, we've got honest-to-god Hall of Famers weighing in. Bob Glauber, ladies and gentlemen. A gentleman, scholar, and role model, in more ways than one. While the jaded New Yorker might tell you that you are what your record says you are, Bob's also aware enough to know there's reason for optimism here.
It's like we're beating ourselves now instead of being beaten by the opponent. Surely, that must be an easier fix, huh? — @cmcmillin.bsky.social
It is if you do the work.
I want to have hope. My Grinch-y heart has been so small for the Panthers the last few years. Am I setting myself up for heartache, or are we TRULY turning a corner? Is it just because a few of the younger players are improving? Or is it deeper than that? — @cheetoclu.bsky.social
If your heart grew three sizes on either of the last two Sundays, no one would blame you. Just like I won't blame Panthers fans for either skepticism or choosing to hope. It's been a minute.
But as we said up top, something feels different this time. We'll see how it turns out.
