CHARLOTTE — One of the questions the Panthers have gotten a lot this week strikes some of them as odd.
At least the ones who have been around more than a year or two.
A number of players and coaches were asked if they were worried about looking past the Saints this week, because they're coming off a huge win at Lambeau Field last week and coming back home to play a 1-8 team, which has already changed quarterbacks this year, and traded away a pair of offensive starters on Tuesday.
Dave Canales lives in a week-to-week world, so he's not wired that way.
But to the ones who have been here for a minute, that question brings back memories.
Even in the moments of joy after Sunday's win in Green Bay, Derrick Brown was still matter-of-fact, because he knows.
"I mean, yeah, any win for us is special," Brown acknowledged Sunday. "Especially, you know, we've been looked at for so long as a team where people think that they're going to just come in and get an automatic win. So for us to come out here, be competing down to the wire, this is what we do, this is what we wanted, right?
"This is the culture that Dan (Morgan) and Dave, from the top down, this is what they brought in. And you know, this is what they want to instill in us so we can be able to execute in the game. So I mean like I said today after the game, all we need is us, and to be able to go out and execute."
That quote encapsulated a lot of history. Brown lived through the before times, prior to Canales arriving in January 2024. Guys like him and Jaycee Horn and Bryce Young were around for 2-15 in 2023, and Horn and Brown for the stuff that preceded that. So the idea that anyone here can overlook any team seems strange, because they've been that team, and fairly recently.
And if they forget, there are plenty of people around to remind them.
"I just think that you just have to acknowledge that every team in this league is capable of ruining your day if you don't take it seriously," defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero reminded on Thursday. "That's just a fact of life in this league, and every team has got players to beat you."
The Panthers are 5-4 and in a good place, from a big-picture perspective. But within the scope of a one-week setting, they know what can happen because they've been on the other side of it, and recently. The ones who were here before Canales arrived know. There aren't many of them, but they include guys such as Brown, Horn, and Young, along with a handful of other leaders and elders.
There are plenty of ways to lose any game. But it would be a surprise if this team overlooked anyone, because so many key figures know what it's like to be the one overlooked. Things have changed a lot around here, that's for sure.
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So, with Bryce Young rolling now and Rico Dowdle seeming to have the hot hand over Chuba Hubbard. And Tetairoa McMillan is finally starting to get into gear. Could you see the Panthers making the playoffs? If so, what spot? KEEP POUNDING! — Jameson, Summerville, SC
What a time to be alive.
About a month and a half ago, this team was 1-3, and people were wondering if it was ever going to work out. Now they're clearing the calendars for January.
Honestly, it's more fun thinking about what needs to happen to get into the playoffs than what each game does to their draft position. Draft talk in November is super depressing, to use Young's favorite adverb. (They're basically a game and a half off the division lead, and a game out of the wild card, and picking 16th if the season ended today. Also, a lot of people would be asking, "Why did the season end on the Friday of Week 10?")
And while my seniority has given me a certain tendency toward caution (that, and to get up to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night), I appreciate the enthusiasm.
Here's my compromise position, lest anyone think I'm just a wet blanket. The Panthers are making a lot of the progress they need to make. They're improving as a team. They're working on a weekly basis in a way that yields long-term results. They're steadily improving. That was the point of this season.
Beating the Packers on the road was a pleasant surprise. If they were 4-5 instead of 5-4 right now, the above paragraph would still be just as true. But hope is a powerful drug, and the Panthers are dealing right now.
If you wear the uniform on Sundays, you can't think that way, though. The only way to keep that progress going is to ignore it.
But if you're a fan, think big. Dream a little. It's been a minute; you're entitled to as much. Enjoy it. And even if you can't wear the uniform, I can make you this week's Friend Of The Mailbag, and get the appropriate honorarium on the way to you, Jameson. (And a new shipment just arrived yesterday, so I'm trying to get those out the door next week. Thanks for your patience, loyal FsOTM.)
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Props to the Panthers for another gritty win. Perhaps Carolina should've been the team wearing the throwback duds and faux-leather helmets based on their trench warfare-esque scheme? Thankfully, they weren't, though. Those uniforms were truly awful. At any rate, it was one for the history books in a deeply historic stadium, and it was the kind of win you can hang your cap on, whether the national pundits want you to or not. The Packers may be a "better team" than the Panthers on paper, but they weren't better on the field on Sunday, and that is where it counts.
My main question today is about our passing offense. I guess what I'm wondering is, where is it? Don't get me wrong, I'm a run-first apologist, but I'm becoming moderately concerned about our lack of production through the air. Outside of fourth and gotta-have-it situations late in games, we don't seem to be able to move the ball effectively by throwing. In fact, passing seems to be a recipe either for turnovers or three-and-outs.
We have too talented a receiving corps to be limiting their duties to run blocking (which they are excellent at by the way), and we need to figure out sooner rather than later if Bryce can be more than an acting regional manager of closely contested football games. I'm not asking for the kind of stubborn arm-punts we saw from the opposition in Green Bay last weekend (Happy Birthday to us!), but surely we can scheme up something more consistent?
As always, Keep Pounding! — Jake, Candler, NC
I understand where this is coming from. Throwing for 102 yards a game is not what you'd call sustainable in the modern NFL. At the same time, winning in Green Bay, which they hadn't done since 2008, buys you a little grace (for the record, Jake Delhomme threw for a hearty 177 yards that November day, while DeAngelo Williams ran for four touchdowns).
And if that game was anywhere but Lambeau last week, most people would likely share your concerns.
It might have got a little lost in all the excitement last week that veteran long snapper/amateur meteorologist JJ Jansen said there was a 20-yard difference in field goal range from one end of the stadium to the other. The wind was whipping down there on the field, to the point that Jansen said a 48-yard point after was "unmakeable," while a 49-yard game-winning field goal the other way was easily within range.
But even beyond the winds (which probably had more than a little to do with that pick), the Panthers' passing game is a work in progress for a few reasons. They have a 24-year-old quarterback, a receiving group that's 24, 24, 23, and 22, and tight ends that are 25, 22, and 22. There are older guys they could be playing (one's in Minnesota, one's inactive), but they're trying to grow this passing game for times beyond this week. So they're willing to work through the growing pains Young might be having with McMillan, Xavier Legette, Jalen Coker, Jimmy Horn Jr., Tommy Tremble, Ja'Tavion Sanders, and Mitchell Evans.
There's a lot of potential there, but that takes time to develop. It's a long-range investment, for sure.
And again, it's mostly working. Young has led nine game-winning drives since he entered the league. That's tied with Super Bowl champions Jalen Hurts and Patrick Mahomes, and veteran Geno Smith, since the start of the 2023 season. (And one ahead of Josh Allen, Baker Mayfield, Jared Goff, and Matthew Stafford in that span.) If he wasn't winning, I could see it.
But as long as there's whole-team progress, I'm willing to wait to pass judgment on one component of one phase, beyond saying, of course, they need to get more there eventually.
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I have a statement, a quick question, some hyperbole, and possibly another question; I'll know when I get there.
That was nerve-wracking! The announcers mentioned him several times, but I never saw him. Did Micah Parsons actually play? Bryce Young has Ice Water in his veins. There's a decent line of QBs with rings and in the HOF that excelled at making the right decisions in the final minutes. Bryce is like that. They won this game because Bryce allowed them to. The defense looked like a tippy top of the league unit. I wish they could be a bit more consistent. I feel that's coming. Great work on the play calling for Ejiro Evero. Tre'von Moehrig was a steal of a signing, even at the price tag. DB may be the best D-tackle in the game. Rico. Rico. Rico. Also, that O-line, 36 players deep, had a performance for the ages. Round of applause for Joe Gilbert. Canales had a plan and stuck to it, I'm a big fan of that. Whew! That was a lot. Forgive me.
OK, I'm not looking to criticize anyone. I'm curious about what I saw vs what maybe you saw. The interception in the end zone. I thought XL kinda quit on the route, got muscled out of his route. Bryce threw, expecting X to break in. It looked like he would've ended up in front of the defender for a contested but very catchable ball. How far off is my interpretation? I appreciate what you do, thanks, Darin. — Deric, Gastonia, NC
Lot to process there. (And again, I think that pick started in one direction and ended up in another, in the same end zone as the unmakeable extra point. Could have been a better ball, could have been a better route.)
But let's zoom in on the Micah Parsons part of that rant, because it also pertains to the thing above we just discussed.
In the middle of that game, I looked next to me and asked Kassidy Hill if it was just me or whether Parsons was in the building. He didn't do a lot in that game (three tackles, no sacks, no pressures). And a lot of that was because Ikem Ekwonu and the rest of the offensive line did a job.
But Young also had a lot to do with it.
The game plan was built to run (obviously), but also to get it out quickly when they threw. That's going to suppress the yardage totals in an organic way. You want to keep Micah Parsons off your quarterback? Have him throw it before Parsons has time to arrive.
All that works as long as all the other stuff is working. Sunday, it did. Other weeks, it may not.
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Happy Wednesday morning, Darin. Just dropping in with a quickie "welfare check" to make sure you're OK. Normally, we would have the ATOG column already up and running, but nothing so far this week but silence. I'm hoping that you simply enjoyed your own "Victory Monday" earlier this week and that our favorite OG will return very, very soon! I miss you, my friend. — Jeff, Concord, NC
I appreciate the concern, Jeff, and that people noticed I was running late this week.
Blame democracy.
One of the few things I enjoy as much as writing this 'Bag is working the polls on Election Day (especially a good municipal only, because those are the ones that have the most direct impact on our lives). Unfortunately, that leaves precious little time on Tuesday to knock out 5,000 words or so about your favorite football team. It's exhausting work, 15 hours on my feet, putting voters on machines to cast their ballots, and making sure it's all done according to the rules. And it left me wiped out this week, the kind of tired that takes a couple of days to recover from when you get to this age.
But god help me, I do love it so. If you ever want to feel better about your community, engage in it. And if you're skeptical about the electoral system, go do it. I've got a six-page checklist to complete to fulfill my duties as an equipment assistant, and if you think a football coach likes process, come watch me work that list.
Mostly, it's our responsibility as Americans to preserve the things we value. And for me, that means taking our right to vote seriously, and doing what I can to help protect and promote it.
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I'm grateful for winning when we weren't favored, and I'm proud of this team and its dedication to bounce back after the disaster at home against the Bills. Still, I see some of the same things that continue to worry me. On defense, every week brings more and more examples of Nick Scott either being out of position or being in position and failing to make a tackle or, sometimes, even attempting a tackle. On coaching, every week seems to bring a few head-scratching calls by Dave Canales, particularly like the two runs into an overloaded defense on the line as we were trying to pick up some yards before attempting a (successful) game-winning field goal. It appears he doesn't trust his offensive playmakers or lacks courage. On offense, every week brings more proof that Bryce Young is an adequate QB in the mold of game manager Eli Manning rather than an elite QB in the mold of the aging Matt Stafford. I'm very confident of Dave Canales and the culture he is building, and I am very supportive of Dan Morgan's team building, even if it may require a fourth year (2027) instead of just another year (2026). We seem to be unable to develop the ability to use the safety valve type receiver for a 3-4 yard pass that can be extended with YAC to 6-10 yards total, even though we've seen opponents demonstrate it to us time and time again. Bryce was able to do it with average proficiency when Adam Thielen was here, but we've not done it with our running backs, Coker, Hunter Renfrow, or anyone else. Bryce has even lost his ability to throw an accurate short pass. I know he was injured, although throwing a shorter pass should have been more gentle on his ankle. I know we had a makeshift line and had folks injured during the game, but short, quick passes are a cure, if accurate, for a good pass rush. Are we in a situation where we are not learning from tape and playing games; are we slow to make adjustments, or are we just stubbornly looking to buck trends? We have an opportunity now to get to my expected season record of 8-9 and do at least one better at 9-8. We're not playoff-ready quite yet, but we should not be seeing the same deficiencies in Week 9 that we saw in preseason and Week 1. What are your thoughts, oh, wise one? — Tom, Garner, NC
I think I'll worry more about the passing game when all the other stuff isn't working as well.
They weren't going to throw for 300 last week, between the wind and the Micah Parsons of it all, as discussed previously.
They obviously need to get better in that area, but that's a step in a process, too. And having made so much in other areas, they're buying themselves time. If they fixed it all at once, what would people have to complain about? (Scratch that, there will always be complaints.)
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Yesterday was as good a game plan as I can remember since the Steve Wilks days. From the coin toss, the offensive and defensive execution, and well-timed big plays, it was a welcome sight. DB didn't show up as much in the box score as weeks past, but those holding calls Green Bay had were against him. Teams are clearly noticing and trying to scheme to work around him. I'm not sure why he isn't mentioned more nationally. I enjoyed reading the articles and seeing the pictures from Lambeau Field. As I watched the Bills-Chiefs last night, they showed the new Bills stadium opening next season. All of the new stadiums are great and have wonderful fan experiences, but I would think players and visiting fans enjoy going to an old stadium with so much history. Maybe it is just the nostalgia talking, but how do we balance the new and improved stadium amenities while also preserving the history of the game? — Dustin, Albemarle, NC
Old stadiums are cool, until they start to leak and the ceiling is too low for adults to get dressed in the locker room, and the sewer backs up like it used to in Oakland.
Lambeau Field isn't cool because of the building (though the building has its charms). Lambeau Field is cool because of the culture of the place where it's built. Green Bay, the city, is roughly the size of Gastonia (give or take a Belmont), and it has an NFL team. People tailgate in front of hardware stores and yards of homeowners who rent out walking-distance parking places for 20 bucks. You can't replicate that anywhere else, because most other NFL stadiums are in actual cities with other businesses.
And Packers fans are a special breed. When I went out in search of refreshment Saturday night, I found a couple of Spotted Cows and a group of fans who recognized that perhaps my accent made me an out-of-towner. Two guys in particular had driven in from Western Wisconsin, and we talked about things including the 1996 NFC Championship Game and how cold it was, and how much respect they had for Sam Mills and Kevin Greene and Dom Capers, because that's the kind of old-school football that's easy to love (even for a group that's admittedly spoiled by having back-to-back Hall of Fame quarterbacks). And that was fun, and evidence that the oral histories of teams passed from generation to generation are stronger than anything you paint on the walls.
Likewise, culture isn't something you can build or buy. It's something that evolves over time. The Panthers, for a young team, are fortunate to have an organic mythology that can't be created by a marketing department focus group. The Keep Pounding mantra, and the story it's built on, is literally stitched into the fabric of the team and its fans. When things have been best here, the team has generally played tough defense, run the ball well, and done the small things right. If that sounds familiar, it's because they're moving in that direction again. This team may not have a Mills or a Greene (or a Julius Peppers or Luke Kuechly or Cam Newton or Steve Smith), but it does have a Capers again, and it's got a handful of guys who are building their own legacies here. Time will tell what it looks like.
And the building will be fine and nice and have all the cool stuff.
But I can tell you that even in storied Lambeau Field last week, there was a moment when the Packers fans were quiet (maybe stunned silence, but whatever). And through the Midwestern murmur, there were a handful of fans with funny accents saying those words that are far more prevalent here. That Keep Pounding chant came through loud and clear, and I wasn't the only one who heard it.
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I'm a huge Panthers fan from Toledo, Ohio (over 550 miles from Charlotte). On Saturday, I was at Cedar Point and I actually met another Panthers fan! We talked and both agreed that Micah Parsons and the Packers would end up wreaking havoc on our injured O-line. Yet despite more injuries during the game, that wasn't the case. How did they ensure that even the backups were able to protect Bryce, and how can they carry that over to next week and beyond? — Henry, Toledo, OH
When Dan Morgan and Dave Canales set out to build a better offensive line in 2024, they didn't start from scratch. They inherited a group that included Ikem Ekwonu, Taylor Moton, Austin Corbett, Brady Christensen, Cade Mays, and Chandler Zavala.
And in that free agency, they spent good money on Robert Hunt and Damien Lewis, and also tackle Yosh Nijman, who has played a good bit of important football here.
But they also invested in coaches to work with those people. Hiring run game coordinator Harold Goodwin and line coach Joe Gilbert was an important step in building an entire offensive line. Not every coaching staff has that kind of depth and experience in that room. Goodwin and Gilbert have 69 years of experience between them. That's nice, and when you throw in offensive quality control coach Dean Petzing (a mere 14 years, I think he started when he was 11), and that's 83 years of football devoted to one position group. You value what you invest in.
They've coached up a group that's become a cohesive whole, rather than a collection of individuals. That's really hard to accomplish, which is why those guys deserve a lot of credit. Things as small as Corbett staying engaged while on IR and helping younger guys like Nick Samac and Jake Curhan when they get here.
So when they roll out their eighth combination of starters in 10 games Sunday, you'll notice it's not the same kind of mess it became in 2023 when they were dragging guys in off the street to start at guard (where have you gone, Gabe Jackson and Nash Jensen?). They have better people to begin with, and they move as one. That's a huge accomplishment in a short amount of time.
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This weekend, instead of going to Halloween parties, I learned about the 2008 financial crisis by watching "The Big Short." What an interesting movie!
Are the Panthers still figuring out who their best pass-catching tight end is, or who could be our next Greg Olsen? When I was looking at the snap counts from the win on Sunday, Tremble and Sanders had similar snap counts. This season, both have had similar stats as well - 23 targets/18 receptions/130 yards for Tremble, 20 targets/15 receptions/116 yards for Sanders. — Zach, Charlotte
Boy, does this kid know how to party. When he goes to college, he's going to be a madman.
As for the tight ends, you say "our next Greg Olsen" as if that's something you can go out and buy at a store. Olsen was rare, and not many people have one of those. He was the first guy ever at his position to record three straight 1,000-yard seasons, and he's seventh all-time among tight ends in both yards and receptions. So anticipating one of those might be unfair.
They are getting solid production from the group, and for a rookie, Evans has stepped in and scored a couple of touchdowns as well (and been ready to play tackle if need be). I'm not sure any of them are going to turn into Greg Olsen, but there aren't many of those in the entire league.
Credit to former general manager Marty Hurney for finding an undervalued commodity (and we should also thank Mike Martz for undervaluing him) and buying at the right time and the right price. That's maybe the best third-round pick the Panthers ever spent to get Olsen here. And instead of looking at the margins for tight end value, maybe you should GET BACK TO CLASS, ZACH.
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Keep Pounding! I know hindsight is 20/20, but I knew they would keep it close.
I also know that players and coaches like not to look in the rearview mirror, but I mean, it's there for a reason, haha. It's hard not to think about what might have happened with the Bills game last week. With Bryce back and Rico getting the green light, oh, what could have been. After this Packers win, we see what the defense can do when not having to stay on the field for long periods of time.
Either way, on to the next.
I've been a fan since 1995, and I seriously cannot remember being so optimistic about a team, even when we were the "worst undefeated team" and Superman as a QB. Everything this team does seems so deliberate and calculated. The O-line is doing something amazing. Bryce does not need to be Drew Brees; he just needs to manage the offense to keep the chains moving. The defense knows what teams live on the big play and momentum. I love where this team is headed.
My question is: Do you feel the difference as well? I mean, you're obviously in the thick of it, as opposed to most of us fans, but I wanted to know if you could describe that feeling in more detail. — Jonathan, Whittier, NC
We've talked about this on the Happy Half Hour (presented by our friends at Deep Eddy) a good bit lately.
This team does feel like it is figuring out its how. In that sense, it's reminding me of 2002, when John Fox's first team went through some fits and starts, but found a formula that worked for them. It took adding more people, and this team needs some of that, too. But learning how to win and how you win is as important as anything added in the draft or free agency.
And yes, when you see the improvements on the offensive and defensive fronts over the last two years, it very much feels like it was on purpose. Having a plan and executing it is important.
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What does Hunter Renfrow need to do to get back in the lineup? He's played well when he's been active. — Linda, Pawleys Island, SC
The short answer is just wait. Injuries are always a factor during a 17-game season, and my suspicion is he'll be needed before the season is over.
And as he's proven on fourth-and-Renfrow in the Dallas game, he's ready when they are.
The Panthers are developing younger players now, but he's still here and engaged and prepared. Again, I'd be stunned if you don't see him in another big spot this year.
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And on that note, let's go lightning round, brought to you by the patron saint of the lightning round Jeff from Fuquay-Varina, to close it out this week.
During the televised halftime, the comment was made that the Packers needed to quit playing with their food. Oops! The Packers discovered that their food can claw and scratch back. The Panthers did indeed "Leave Our Mark." — Patrick, Charlotte
I see what you did there, Patrick.
Hi Darin. I hope you are doing well. Let me start off by saying that my husband is a Packers fan. I try to be a nice lady, so I didn't gloat, not out loud anyway. I took great pleasure in this win, not only because my team beat my husband's team, but also because almost nobody expected us to win. We've had struggles, but I think this team is special. To me, something feels different this season. With all that being said, what went wrong to cause the interception? Since it was really windy, can I just blame it on that? — LeeAnne, Lincolnton, NC
You are nice, LeeAnne, you have proven that. But gloat away. You earned that. And the wind is a good place to start with that one, but there are things to polish, too.
You may have addressed this earlier, but what happened to the inflatable Panthers during player introductions? I miss them. — Omer, Wilkesboro, NC
They still get a lot of run during community events, but they're retired for Panthers games (both the big cat head and the one with the large pouncing full cat on top). I'm trying to borrow them for the yard next Halloween to one-up some of the try-hards I know.
Did Ickey find his peach pie? — Jonathan, Bedford, VA
When Ekwonu was asked Monday what he did with his day off, he mentioned he might look for some pie, and that his favorite was a good peach pie.
"Does he know what month it is?" Chef Tracie Hartman, the team's director of culinary, replied. It's going to be hard to find one this time of year because peaches aren't in season, but if you know a spot, we'll be happy to start a list for him.
Hey! Fabulous win! Rico was fantastic! Here's the question. Is someone going to tell Rico that the two pump rule is not real? Hingle McCringleberry wants to know. — Jimmy, Wilmington, NC
It's not? I mean, that changes everything.
