Panthers coach Dave Canales acknowledges major missing part of his playcalling

Carolina's embattled head coach admits he has to get the ball downfield more.

Sep 14, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales looks on during the third quarter against the Arizona Cardinals at State Farm Stadium. | Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images

The Carolina Panthers' offense looks nothing like the explosive and rising machine that we saw at the end of the 2024 season. Through four games the team ranks 24th in yards per game and 26th in scoring. They're ranked 23rd in passing by Pro Football Focus and 20th overall offensively.

There's plenty of blame to go around, from GM Dan Morgan's decision to trade Adam Thielen, to a regression by the offensive line and a lack of development from Bryce Young. The run game is also lagging behind last season.

Carolina's playcalling is also not as effective as it was last season, especially when it comes to explosive passing plays. Here's head coach Dave Canales admitting that he hasn't dialed up enough plays to get the ball downfield in his Wednesday press conference.

Dave Canales says he has to call more plays to get the ball downfield. pic.twitter.com/gyaiHT2iMx

— Joe Person (@josephperson) October 1, 2025

This is the one area where Thielen was most valuable. In fact, in the second half of the 2024 season the deep ball connection between Thielen and Young as the most-efficient in the NFL of any QB-WR combination.

That all-important part of the game can't be predicated on just one guy, though - and at the rate Tetairoa McMillan is getting double-teamed it's going to be really difficult for him to become a downfield threat at the same level.

The Panthers have to get more speed on the field, for one thing - and Canales is pretty much being forced to do so this week, with the injury to David Moore getting rookie Jimmy Horn Jr. what will be his first action of the 2025 season.

Horn's speed will be a welcome addition to this passing offense, but it won't make any difference if Canales doesn't take advantage. He has to give Horn a real role, and also get other receivers at least threatening defenses vertically.

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