Dave Canales' statement on opening Panthers' loss is a self-own

The coach called out something that is largely his fault.

Sep 7, 2025; Jacksonville, Florida, USA; Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales stands on the sidelines during the first half of a game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at EverBank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Morgan Tencza-Imagn Images | Morgan Tencza-Imagn Images

If only there were a time before the NFL season to get on the same page, work out the kinks, and find ways to come out ready in Week 1. Oh, other teams take advantage of the preseason to do that? Why won't the Carolina Panthers try that? Under Dave Canales, they have yet to look like an NFL team in a season opener.

Not playing the starters but a handful of plays in only two games out of three is yet again coming back to haunt the Panthers. After a dreadful season opener that was as sloppy as it was ugly, Dave Canales said that's just a snapshot of where Carolina is.

“That was a picture of where we’re at” - Dave Canales starts his post-loss presser. #Panthers

— Mike Kaye (@mike_e_kaye) September 7, 2025

What Canales may not realize is that the onus falls on him. The coach is the one who gets everyone ready, and most NFL coaches utilize the preseason to better effect to do that. That being the coach's opening statement is an indictment on himself, because he failed to get his team past that stage.

The Panthers looked out of sorts on offense, which is his area of expertise. They looked unprepared as a whole, which comes down to the coach. A 26-10 loss with three turnovers and a generally awful display is "where we're at" because of how this team didn't prepare in the preseason.

The Panthers started slow under Canales a year ago before really hitting a better stride. Is that what we're in for this year? Canales knows the team isn't in a good spot, yet he also wasted the chances to get the team in better shape. There's a talent deficit, sure, but that doesn't have anything to do with being so painfully unprepared. That's coaching.

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