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What Dave Canales said about Panthers ‘huge’ unexpected win at Lambeau Field

The Panthers have won four of their last five games after a 1-3 start. That includes a stunning victory on Sunday at Green Bay over the first-place Packers.
Russell Baxter|
Nov 2, 2025; Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA; Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales during the second half against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images
Nov 2, 2025; Green Bay, Wisconsin, USA; Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales during the second half against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

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Carolina Panthers

There were some expectations when it came to the Carolina Panthers entering the 2025 season. That’s because after starting out the previous campaign with seven losses in their first eight teams, new head coach Dave Canales guided the team to a 4-5 finish thanks in large part to an encouraging performance by quarterback Bryce Young in the club's final 10 games.

Unfortunately, the team finished 5-12—the seventh consecutive losing campaign for the franchise. And when Canales’s club got off to a 1-3 start this season, the excitement of their strong 2024 finish seemed to dissipate. The Panthers ripped off three straight wins for the first time since 2021, but followed that with a 40-9 home loss to the Bills in which veteran backup Andy Dalton (replacing an injured Young) turned over the ball three times and Ejiro Evero’s defense gave up 245 yards rushing.

Then came Sunday afternoon at Green Bay against a Packers’ team that boasted the NFC’s top record. The 16-13 win by the Panthers at Lambeau Field is one of the bigger shockers of 2025, Canales canals had this to say following the Panthers’ second straight road win.

The Panthers now own a 5-4 record, which means they have won as many games after nine weeks as they did all of last season. The defense has made significant strides from a year ago, and the offseason free-agent addition of former Cowboys’ 1,000-yard rusher Rico Dowdle (who has run for 652 yards and 3 touchdowns in his last 5 games) has general manager Dan Morgan looking like a genius.

It’s been quite the reversal of fortunes for the Panthers, who are firmly in the postseason picture. Keep in mind that the Canales’s Era began with a 1-7 record. Carolina now owns a respectable 9-9 record in its last 18 contests.

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Russell Baxter
RUSSELL BAXTER

Russell S. Baxter has been writing and researching the game of football for more than 40 years, and on numerous platforms. That includes television, as he spent more than two decades at ESPN, and was part of shows that garnered five Emmy Awards. He also spent the 2015 NFL season with Thursday Night Football on CBS/NFLN.