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ESPN questions Panthers head coach Dave Canales pulling starters vs. Texans

Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales had a quick hook on the first-teamers against the Houston Texans.
Jeremy Brener|
Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales talks with an official during the first quarter against the Houston Texans
Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales talks with an official during the first quarter against the Houston Texans | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

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Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales is evaluating his team after a 20-3 preseason loss to the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium.

ESPN insider David Newton is questioning Canales' decision to sit the starters after very limited action against the Texans.

"A lot of work needs to be done. It was puzzling that Panthers coach Dave Canales didn't give quarterback Bryce Young and the starters a third series," Newton wrote.

"Young got only six plays, going 0-for-2 with a sack. He also had an interception negated by defensive holding. Young got a lot of good work in during the joint practice Thursday and looked solid. But after this effort, Canales has to consider giving the starters one more look in Thursday's preseason finale against the Pittsburgh Steelers. Besides being outscored 7-0, they were outgained 68-2 in yards. Not exactly a confidence booster."

Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young rushes against the Houston Texans
Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young rushes against the Houston Texans. | Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

The move to sit the starters looked even worse when backup quarterback Andy Dalton left the game after just one series with an injury. Jack Plummer played for a good chunk of the game and the offense looked completely lost against the Texans.

Young is firmly the starter, but he still could benefit from more reps going into his third season in the NFL. He needs to prove this season that he can still be considered the franchise quarterback for the future.

Young and the Panthers have one final preseason matchup against the Steelers on Thursday at 7 p.m. ET on NFL Network.

Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young warms up before playing against the Houston Texans
Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young warms up before playing against the Houston Texans. | Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

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Jeremy Brener
JEREMY BRENER

Jeremy Brener is an editor, writer and social media manager for several Fan Nation websites. His work has also been featured in 247 Sports and SB Nation as a writer and podcaster. Brener has been with Fan Nation since 2021. Brener grew up in Houston, going to Astros, Rockets and Texans games as a kid. He moved to Orlando in 2016 to go to college and pursue a degree. He hosts "The Dream Take" podcast covering the Rockets, which has produced over 350 episodes since March 2020. Brener graduated in May 2020 from the University of Central Florida with a Bachelor's degree in Broadcast Journalism minoring in Sport Business Management. While at UCF, Brener worked for the school's newspaper NSM.today and "Hitting the Field," a student-run sports talk show and network. He was the executive producer for "Hitting the Field" from 2019-20. During his professional career, Brener has covered a number of major sporting events including the Pro Bowl, March Madness and several NBA and NFL games. As a fan, Brener has been to the 2005 World Series, 2010 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 NCAA National Championship between the Villanova Wildcats and North Carolina Tar Heels. Now, Brener still resides in the Central Florida area and enjoys writing, watching TV, hanging out with friends and going to the gym. Brener can be followed on Twitter @JeremyBrener. For more inquiries, please email jeremybrenerchs@gmail.com.

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