CHARLOTTE — Some days, the NFL season seems long and arduous. Other days, you realize just how few opportunities a team gets to take the field and make a statement. It's the fewest of any professional sport, and once the schedule is split between home and away, the chance to play in front of a home crowd drops to less than 10 a regular season.

The Carolina Panthers last chance to play at home this season comes Sunday. In a year marked by rebuilding and finding an identity, Dave Canales is thankful and hopeful his team can do that at least once more this weekend.

"We're still in pursuit of just capturing our style of football," Canales said. "Great effort, great enthusiasm with our guys celebrating each other. I've seen that grow…we've had some great opportunities to do that throughout and ultimately finish, and that's the part that wish, that we can continue to press to capture the right finish.

"I want to be able to play Panthers football one more time right here at the house and so I you know for me, it's my high hope for this season has been to build to a brand of football that we're proud of; first and foremost for those players in that locker room and the coaches who are working every day, all the staff that pours into it.

"And then to show our fans, this is the stuff we've been working on and to bring it out to the field so that you know we can continue to grow this culture and really the brand of football that we're looking for."

Protecting the ball

When a game is all about the ball, nothing is more important than the ball. So, when the Panthers turned the ball over four times on Sunday in a 30-14 loss to the Cowboys, each and every fumble and interception came under a microscope. They've already been discussed ad nauseum, but on Wednesday, Canales and quarterback Bryce Young – who was responsible for each turnover – discussed the response.

For the most part, work stayed the same.

"Normal Wednesday stuff," Young said when asked if he'd put extra focus on ball security this week. "Just trying to match the game plan. Work throughout the week so we can execute. That's been the focus."

While the physical work stays the same, Canales does want Young and all ball carriers to remember the mental side of ball security.

"Every play is important, and particularly as you start to extend plays and defenders are looking for those opportunities to know when those things happen, you're going to the ground in a vulnerable spot, we got to cover it up with two hands," Canales said Wednesday.

"When you're in the pocket, keeping two hands on it; and it's all across the board, we talk about the ball first and foremost as a team. And yes, we talked to each ball carrier, whoever that is, if you have the ball, you're holding it for the whole team.

"Trying to create that emphasis that way, but then also it starts up front, whether it's on offense or defense, the protection is critical. In the run game, making sure we're covering that first level so that there's no free hitters on a back from an awkward angle. So, it's everybody involved taking care of the ball, particularly the people that end up with it."

The Cardinals defense has 14 takeaways this season.

That time of year

The Panthers had a slew of guys on the first injury report of the week, with six of them injury or rest related.

"It's that time of year," Canales said. "I think we got a bug going around a little bit, so some of the guys, we kept them to just, keep them away from the rest of the guys.

"(Jadeveon) Clowney was one of those. And then (Xavier) Woods is just a rest deal, just trying to get our guys' bodies right. We'll get on the field, have a longer practice tomorrow, run around and today was an opportunity to just shorten it up a little bit, have more of a mental focus day, focus on some of the things we've been working on."

Reinforcements for practice

The Panthers brought a pair of familiar faces back to the practice squad Wednesday, signing wide receiver Dax Milne and linebacker Jackson Mitchell, both of whom have been here earlier this season.