The shocking numbers behind Dave Canales’ Panthers coaching tenure through 21 games are on the verge of raising some very serious questions
When the Panthers lose under Dave Canales, they’re not just losing. And the numbers are ugly for Carolina’s second-year head coach.
The Carolina Panthers are seeking a third-year breakthrough for quarterback Bryce Young and a second-year breakthrough for head coach Dave Canales. Things aren’t going well. Carolina sits at 1-3 thus far in 2025 and has been battling to climb their way up the ranks in the NFC South. Week 3 appeared to bring some major progress in the form of a 30-0 shutout victory over the Atlanta Falcons, but Sunday’s Week 4 contest against the New England Patriots was two steps back to that win’s one step forward.
It’s a continuation of a troubling trend for Carolina under Canales, who is now 21 games into his tenure as the head coach in Carolina. The Panthers are 6-15 in those 21 contests. But it isn’t just the record — it’s how they’re losing. When the Panthers have lost games under Canales since the start of 2024, they’ve been largely non-competitive.
Dave Canales’ margin of defeat as Panthers head coach is amongst the league’s worst since 2002
Courtesy of Julian Council of the Locked On Network & Steve Patton, Canales’ struggles are officially quantified after Sunday’s blowout loss to New England. And the results are ugly. Only one non-interim head coach, per Patton, has had a worse margin of defeat since the start of the 2002 season — Dave McGinnis with the Cardinals back in 2002-2003.
Losing is hard. Losing by a lot is untenable. Carolina’s objective under Canales was a two-pronged approach — first and foremost to stabilize the environment around quarterback Bryce Young in an effort to elevate his play and, second, to help fortify the trenches and own the line of scrimmage. Neither has happened. Carolina is dealing with injuries to their offensive line this season — a setback that has cost them two interior starters in Robert Hunt and Austin Corbett.
With the Miami Dolphins and Dallas Cowboys up next and both games being played at home, perhaps the schedule can serve as a chance for Carolina to start stacking progress on the scoreboard and the win column. But without better play up front and better execution from Young, who is averaging 188 passing yards per game and a career low in adjusted yards per attempt thus far in 2025, it could be more of the same for Carolina.
And, in the case of two more big losses in the next two weeks, there will likely be hard questions that follow shortly after about the direction of the team.
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