CHARLOTTE — A lot of people like to talk about process. Many fewer want to endure it.
The spot the Panthers are in at the moment is neither enviable nor unique. It's also not necessarily unexpected. You knew going into the season that they were dealing with a smaller margin of error than many teams, and then when you add some unexpected injuries, you end up in some weird places.
The being 1-4 right now isn't far off what many thought the Panthers might be dealing with, but the way they've gotten there has been interesting. The quarterback change was one thing, but then losing some key pieces complicates things further.
But when Dave Canales talks about the basics of what he wants to build here, you can see elements of it emerging. He wants to run, and they're running. He wants to be physical up front, and they were, though injuries are beginning to impact their ability to. (That said, the line depth is much better than it used to be).
They knew a brand new set of defensive personnel would take some time to adjust, and that adjustment was amplified by the injuries that took out two of their best players in the first month of a long season. So you adapt, and you get guys opportunities to play and see what happens. It's about building toward the future, so as much as Canales misses Shaq Thompson, he emphasizes the reps Trevin Wallace is getting there as well since the rookie is going to be here for some time.
It's not a comfortable process always, but it's one a team has to go through. A character I loved on a television show people hated liked to say, "Progress is slow, but I'm in it for the long haul," and it's probably helpful to keep that in mind right now.
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It feels like every year, we get bitten by the injury bug and have to deal with more substantial injuries than the average team, to the point where we become almost completely dysfunctional on at least one side of the ball (sometimes both). Should we just write this off as bad luck, or do we eventually have to take a look at our players' injury histories and let go of some veterans that seem to often be on the wrong side of injuries? Off the top of my head, I can remember some extensive recurring injuries from our team, like Jaycee Horn, Donte Jackson (obviously not on the team anymore), Shaq Thompson, Austin Corbett, Josey Jewell (when he was with Denver), and Jadeveon Clowney (multiple times with different teams). Obviously I'm not saying we just cut every single player who gets injured a lot, but is there a way to build a team of healthier guys? Are we simply unlucky, or should we try to find players with shorter histories of injuries? It seems every year, it catches up to us, and we end up with a skeleton crew at some position group. — Grant, Gahanna, OH
Every year, we get versions of this question in the 'Bag: Why do the Panthers have more injuries than other people? Which seems fair, except it doesn't really match up with what's happening elsewhere. Panthers fans are very focused on the Panthers, and may not be as engaged with the larger trends in the league.
The Browns had 18 guys on the injury report last week, including star running back Nick Chubb. The Dolphins had 17 players on their list, and that doesn't count their starting quarterback (Tua Tagovailoa) on injured reserve and their best pass-rusher (Bradley Chubb) on the physically unable to perform list. The 49ers had 14 on the injury report and some guy named Christian McCaffrey on IR. So there's a lot of that going around.
The problem here isn't the how many as much as the who. When you lose team captains like Derrick Brown and Shaq, when you lose heart-and-soul guys like Corbett and Taylor Moton in the middle of the game, it just feels different. (Moton should be back at some point reasonably soon, which is good news). Those work ethic and attention to detail guys are the ones coaches point to as examples when younger players ask questions. Want to learn how to work? Go watch Brown and Moton, or Shaq and Corbett.
But it gets tricky when you start trying to identify trends when it comes to injuries. You can do all the yoga in the world, but no one is flexible enough to make Austin Corbett's two years of knee injuries correlate to last week's biceps tear. It's two unrelated muscles on opposite ends of the body.
Nobody wants to hear it, but sometimes it's just bad luck. Dan Morgan was never injured when he was a college star at Miami, and repeated injuries cut his career as a player here short. Sometimes it happens.
In general, you'd rather build around younger players because younger bodies have less accumulated wear and tear. But this just in — football is a physical game. And if you only want to sign free agents with no injury history, it's hard, because everyone in the NFL has an injury history.
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Darin, why are we not actually being stubborn about the run? I understand getting down by scores but there were plenty of short pass calls or drops in the game on Sunday where I found myself saying " Chuba Hubbard gets us yardage there."
Running the ball helps you control the clock, and with Chuba being as efficient and effective as he has been, it doesn't make sense to me that we aren't being stubborn like Canales has said. I know he's addressed it, but I would like your take on it. The run game should be the strength and backbone of this team, especially with Jonathon Brooks coming on board soon. — John, Matthews, NC
Well, part of it is, as you mentioned, game situations. There are times to run stubbornly. When you're down three scores to start the second half, it's harder to justify.
But to steal a page from Canales here, it's all connected to third downs. The Panthers were 0-of-6 on third downs in the first half against the Bears. And not being able to convert those and have more plays prevents you from building up the inventory of run plays.
And make no mistake, Hubbard is making the most of them.
He's on a heater lately, just 3 yards short of three straight 100-yard games the last few weeks. He's also catching passes and showing that he's more than capable of being a lead back in any offense.
In fact, in the last three weeks, only Derrick Henry has more rushing yards than Hubbard's 315. And that comparison is apt in a few ways.
Hubbard has always run with great physicality. He finishes runs, as the coaches like to say. But he's improved in a lot of other ways as well. Lately, he's shown a real discipline of cutting back subtly, and being patient with holes. Rather than just plant and reverse field at the first sign of an obstacle, he's shown the ability to adjust a little and get back on his original path rather than bailing on the play design.
It also helps that he has lanes like the one Corbett and Robert Hunt cleared for him to go untouched for a 38-yard touchdown last week.
It's the kind of thing you can build an offense around as long as you create the condition to allow it.
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Hi Darin! Tough week to keep things in perspective, I guess. People are screaming to fire coaches, bench players, and national media again, being certain that everything is wrong with the organization. Anyway, I'll try to be as realistic and practical as possible because, as someone told me that Jake Delhomme said on the broadcast, "No one is going to come here and save us". I'd think he meant that those players not injured and on the team, along with the coaches, are and will be the ones to get us through it all - most weren't even here the last few seasons, but they'll be charged with the responsibility for all the shortcoming of the team on those years - that's how sports work, fairly or unfairly, it's the reality.
So again, looking forward, my sense is that the offense has to operate like the Raiders and Bengals games for the team to have a chance to win. Against the Bears, pre-injuries, the offense lost its way after going 7-0 up (I'd guess maybe some schematic things more than the players not executing - which will happen sometimes). But then came the injuries. The question is: do you see or sense, being around team and coaches, that they have what it takes to endure all that and get better every day while keeping the effort on the field (I mean not individually, as for sure they try, but to have that fire or chip on the shoulder to even play above it's level - especially now that every team will look at the Panthers and think W)? Thanks! — Fernando, São Paulo, Brazil.
The only honest answer is "We'll see," but there does seem to be a certain resolve about this group. Canales talks about that a lot, the way they work.
I think having a guy with Andy Dalton's experience helps in this regard. He's hard to rattle, because after 14 years in the league, whatever situation he finds himself in, he's probably been in before. That lends a stability to the entire operation.
Did Sunday get away from them early? It did. But it felt more like an outlier than the win over the Raiders did, because there is a confidence about the group that they should be able to score some points.
And to Delhomme's point, it's past the point of bringing in reinforcements that will make significant differences. They'll sign guys to fill holes, but at this point in a season, you aren't making wholesale or headline-making changes.
Canales keeps talking about "we make us," and what he means is that they're going to become as good as they make themselves. He used the example of Chandler Zavala stepping in a week ago and playing well for Damien Lewis — which was born out of Zavala's training camp work against Derrick Brown. Brown's not around to push him now, but the work counts.
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How many more years, yes years, are we supposed to be expected to watch a product this pathetic? They handed the Bears the first overall pick and then watched him shred them apart. Is this team ever going to get back to a watchable, respectable team, or are they going to be at the bottom of the league forever because they can't build a proper roster and just blame injuries all the time for lackluster performances? — Eric, Brick Township, NJ
Forever is a long time, Eric, and nothing in football has to be forever because of the way the league is structured. Make a series of smart decisions often enough, and things can turn around, because that's the way the NFL is designed to work.
And just like the crystal ball is still in Ben McAdoo's other pants, the time machine is parked somewhere else (Spartanburg, maybe?). Can't go back and get a do-over on any of the deals done or not done. All they can do is continue to do the thing they've promised — and you used the verb — build.
That takes time. The pieces they put in place have shown signs of being helpful. Xavier Legette has already flashed, Wallace had 15 tackles in his first NFL start, and they're getting closer to seeing Brooks on the field. Stack another year or two of drafts with those guys, and you're moving in the right direction.
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Chuba is looking great out there, I'm wondering if it has to do with the O-line. How is the O-line anyway? There was lots of stuff in the offseason about it getting beefed up, but I haven't heard anything about it recently. How's that looking? — Miles, Chicago, IL
Pretty good, considering. And honestly, the floor is so much higher than it was a year ago, that it could remain that way.
With Corbett out for the year, they're turning to Brady Christensen at center, where he practiced all offseason. Brady is smart and aware and athletic, and those are all the ingredients you need to play in the middle. It's a transition for him the same way it was for Corbett, but it makes sense. When you're the best lineman on your high school or college team, you become a tackle. But some guys have center traits, and Christensen does.
And while Moton is out with an elbow injury (Canales called him "week-to-week" and said he definitely wouldn't play Sunday against the Falcons), Yosh Nijman is a solid alternative at right tackle
Between the two of them, Christensen and Nijman have 46 NFL starts, a level of experience that should help keep things between the ditches. Compared to last year, when Christensen's injury triggered an avalanche of guards (seven different players appeared at left guard, eight on the right), it's a solid insurance policy. And with Zavala improving and showing he can be trusted there's a more solid base.
Now, if the injuries continue to stack up, it's another question. But so far, Ikem Ekwonu, Hunt, and Lewis have played well, and they've got some guys they trust to fill in.
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I was wondering if you were old enough to remember when the New Orleans Saints were so bad (back in the late '70s, early '80s) that a number of their fans referred to them as the "Aints" and wore paper bags over their heads. I noted in the first Panther home game that they showed someone in the stands with a paper bag over his head with holes for eyes but no beer hole! Clearly a rank amateur. Unfortunately, due to the storm, I did not see if he was back for the second home game or if natural selection took place, and when confronted with the paper or plastic question, he chose plastic and forgot to put any holes in it. Anyway, who pays today's prices to see a game and puts a bag over the head? Must be a couple of bricks short of a load.
My point is that no matter how bad things seem, they will get better! The Saints went on to win a Super Bowl. The Panthers are looking better and giving us hope for the future. Negativity never won nothing, Keep Pounding! — Norm, Greenville, SC
I am. And yeah, the Saints were pretty bad for a long time.
They didn't post a winning record, much less go to the playoffs, for their first 19 years of existence (going 83-187-5). Then some guy named Sam Mills showed up with some friends from the USFL including coach Jim Mora and a young DB coach named Dom Capers, and things got a lot better, fast. In two years, they were 12-3. It can happen just like that.
I admire a lot of things about Norm's note, beginning with the underlying optimism, the sense of history, the dark humor, and the obvious fact that he's never, ever put anything on his head that didn't include a beer hole.
So I'm making Norm this week's Friend Of The Mailbag, and getting the appropriate honorarium on the way to him soon. The beer hole's at the very top.
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Hi again, Darin. As a faithful Friend Of The Mailbag, it is now official as I received my T-shirt yesterday, and I will don it every time I read the Mailbag, just like I wear my team jersey for each game. I have all three colors, of course, #59, and #22. Since I am 70 years young, when you have a question, just ask the OLD MAN! LoL.
Unfortunately, I have to say as I grew up in Hendersonville, Asheville, and Lake Lure I am deeply saddened by the catastrophic events of Hurricane Helene. I have many fond memories growing up there, graduating from Edneyville HS and joining the US Army in 1972. I might live in Germany, but Western North Carolina (God's Country) is where my family and friends are. I continue to pray for everyone affected by Helene and know this will take a long time to recover from.
Now Football: Unfortunately, we lost to the Bengals after a much-needed win over the Raiders; I saw a big improvement in the team with the QB change also, but unfortunately, the loss of Brown and Thompson, and hopefully just a couple of weeks with the other injuries, we will bounce back. The Panthers are in a rebuild mode, and will probably take another one or two years to get where Canales, Dan Morgan, and us fans want the team to be. It takes time; the process doesn't happen overnight, maybe for some teams. The future remains to be seen for our Panthers, and time will reveal who they become. So I will end with Go Panthers, Keep on Pounding. — Kenneth, Stuttgart, Germany
I nearly got to Germany before Kenneth's T-shirt did, and for that I apologize. But he deserves it, because he also has the benefit of perspective that comes easiest with time.
The scenes coming out of the mountains are heartbreaking, knowing that we might not even know the full extent of the damage yet. However, the encouraging part is the way the area has stepped up to help neighbors. Whether it's donating money, volunteering, or even attending the incredible benefit concert that was announced Monday, there's an avenue for everyone to help.
That's the only way to get through anything — together.
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You promised no one would care a few weeks into the season about how much Bryce Young played in the preseason, but here I am! I keep reading things about how Canales wants people to have "time on task" or the Panthers being a "developmentally-minded place," but wouldn't that mean Bryce should have had that opportunity, too? I get that all of the starters were not playing in those preseason games too, so it's like comparing apples to oranges, but you have to think it could have helped him.
Yeah, yeah, yeah.... "Don't dwell on the past," "That past is behind us," or "Water under the bridge," but you are supposed to learn from your mistakes. It seems like a glaring mistake to me, and I hope the head honchos can see that now, too. On to the next one. Keep Pounding! — Derek, Cary, NC
I still think preseason snaps are probably overrated (the entire enterprise lacks something, as a teaching tool and an entertainment product), but we'll see in years to come if Canales changes his mind. I think being developmentally minded also means you want to develop a lot of people, not just one.
From the linemen to the run game to the coaches, they all need time to become what they're going to become. And Bryce got in late the other day and was able to move the ball. Sometimes the thing you need to develop is time and insulation.
Bryce is here, engaged, and an active part of the process. We'll see what that becomes.
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I loved reading Dan from Salisbury's story last week. It brought a smile to my face. I propose to all ATOG readers and question submitters that somebody should share a story of hope and community relating to the Carolina Panthers each week, as I think it will always bring a ray of sunshine outside of Darin's questionable humor to mailbags that may have a lot of negativity and sad things like injuries inside of it after a rough loss.
I do have an urgent, quick, lightning round question on my mind this week, so I will share mine another time. The offense looks slower than it did in previous years - is this a Canales coaching thing, or am I just seeing things, and the offense is not moving slower? — Zach, Charlotte
Yeah, that's Salisbury, England, not North Carolina (our question form makes you pick a state, and some of our international readers default to NC out of solidarity, I suppose). And I'm also glad that Dan sent that one and his follow-up email. It's cool to know that our community is worldwide, and you can find common ground with your fellow man just about anywhere (even if it's a bus in Nevada).
It hasn't seemed noticeably slower to me, but they're not deliberately going hurry-up or anything. I imagine with a center making his first NFL start this week, that might not change, either.
You know what does need to hurry? You. So 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.
Hey, I am searching diligently to find out when the Panthers Salute to Service game will be. It's nowhere. I know it's technically not a football football question but why can't we ever find things like this easily? And when is it for 2024? — Julie, Concord, NC
We'll have a lot more to come on Salute to Service soon, with some cool stuff associated with it.
The game will be against the Chiefs in Week 12. Those theme games were announced with the jersey schedule in the summer, and I apologize that it wasn't easier to find.
Any way we can not have Jonathan Vilma as our commentator for the Panthers games? He absolutely is for any team against them, and he really isn't any good at it. — Bryan, Greensboro, NC
That's a Fox network decision, and I don't have any swing over there (such that I do anywhere). And maybe NFC South rivalries just die harder than others. I can imagine what Falcons fans would think if Thomas Davis ever did a game, because he has strong feelings.
I don't hear the broadcast where I'm sitting, but a number of readers pointed out that Vilma made a few references to Alex Canales before cleaning that up later in the game. It's still not as bad as the time Dick Stockton called Dante Rosario "Rosario Dawson" during the Chargers game in 2008.
Who's next to help offensive line and pass rush? — Jameson, Summerville, SC
Well, in the near term, they brought back old friend Cade Mays to lend some depth on the offensive line, and another guy with experience at center. (He can play guard also, and has.) My suspicion is they'll continue to look for outside linebackers, even after promoting Thomas Incoom to the 53-man roster Tuesday, and signing another old friend in Marquis Haynes Sr. to the practice squad last week.
