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Panthers coach Dave Canales directs blame for Week 4 loss where it belongs

Canales refused to point the finger at anyone else, but that doesn't count for much the way things are going for Carolina right now.
Tim Weaver|
Sep 14, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales enters the field prior to the first half against the Arizona Cardinals the at State Farm Stadium.
Sep 14, 2025; Glendale, Arizona, USA; Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales enters the field prior to the first half against the Arizona Cardinals the at State Farm Stadium. | Matt Kartozian-Imagn Images

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Carolina Panthers

"When soldiers lack discipline the fault lies with their commander." So Lord Tywin told his son Tyrion as they prepared to face the Stark host, and the same lesson applies for every NFL head coach when their team plays like the Carolina Panthers did today.

If a quarterback struggles, that's on him. If the defense falls apart, that's on the defensive coordinator. When the team gets completely obliterated on offense, defense and special teams there's only one guy you can blame. At least Panthers head coach Dave Canales still has enough sense to recognize and admit it. Here's what he told reporters following Carolina's 29-point loss to New England.

Dave Canales accepts blame

It's ok for a rookie head coach going through his first few games to struggle like this - and Canales certainly did in Weeks 1-2 last season. However, he's been on this job too long now to continue to get dominated the way he has seemingly every other week.

The Panthers had no answers offensively once the Patriots adjusted to their initial scoring drive, they were utterly lacking discipline on special teams and their defense was overpowered by one of the least-talented offensive teams in the entire league.

This isn't the worst team in the NFL anymore when it comes to pure talent - it's not even a bottom-five roster overall. That makes these regular blowouts an unacceptable occurence.

Canales either has to stop this team from getting regularly crushed by several touchowns, or the Panthers have to find someone who will.

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Tim Weaver
TIM WEAVER

Tim Weaver has been writing about the NFL since the 2013 season for multiple teams and outlets, including USA Today and The Sporting News. He currently covers the Seattle Seahawks and Carolina Panthers for On SI.