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Ask The Old Guy: Young team learning on the fly

11-19-25_Mailbag

CHARLOTTE — There are some old dudes on this Panthers team right now, but they're old in the right places, like long snapper, backup quarterback, and punter.

Because at the moment, the Panthers have a very young energy about them, with all that entails.

You see the exuberance on game day, whether it's Tetairoa McMillan and Xavier Legette celebrating together, or Tommy Tremble going full Viking berserker on the Falcons to set up the game-winning field goal. There's some real puppy-dog energy as they learn to grow into the dogs Dan Morgan keeps looking for.

The Carolina Panthers face the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, GA.

But this team is young, which manifests itself in other ways. They're still learning how to be what they want to be, and they're learning how to win games by multiple methods. It's not just running the ball 40 times a game and bludgeoning opponents. They've now shown they can spread it out and beat the league's best pass defense through the air. Bryce Young throwing it for 448 yards is impressive on its face (it's a Panthers franchise record), but the most the Falcons had given up in any game this year was MVP candidate Drake Maye's 259 in Week 9.

Now, the Panthers have to learn to handle the burden of expectations.

Dave Canales is a big week-to-week guy, but there's added exposure that comes with being on Monday Night Football, as well as the reality that the Panthers are now firmly in that "in the hunt" graphic as it pertains to playoff positioning.

There's a lot that has to happen before those conversations should go too far. But they've gotten to this point by attacking it with energy, which has put them in a position to succeed. Now, the lessons get tougher, and we'll see how they handle those.

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Maybe you have some insight on Panthers football or Bryce Young. Several times this year, they have played so poorly that they can barely "afford" a field goal, and there's talk about decision-making and so on. The next week, he's "spectacular" (Eugene Robinson, 11/16) and leads to game-winning points. Is there any rhyme or reason, or is it just Bryce, ... or the team? I am at a loss. — Eddie, Winston-Salem, NC

Largely, it's the NFL.

The Buffalo Bills are generally considered a good team. A Super Bowl contender. The kind of program other organizations should aspire to. The Bills lost to the Dolphins the same week the Panthers lost to the Saints. Last week, while the Panthers were beating the Falcons, the Bills were busy beating the Buccaneers, with Josh Allen throwing three touchdowns and running for three.

This is still a young team, led by a young quarterback. They've shown a tendency to fight when backed into a corner. Which, you'd rather not be in so many corners. But you like the ability to get out of them, at least.

Consistency is a precious commodity in the NFL, and very few teams can afford it. The reality is, the week-to-week league that gave us such great cliches as "Any Given Sunday" is built to do this.

But the reality is that the Panthers have learned a lot of stuff this year. They've learned how to win the shootout, how to win the comeback, how to win on the road. Learning to put together streaks is a real challenge, and very few teams can pull it off on a regular basis.

Take the wins where you get them. If they figure out the consistency part, the conversations about this team will change because that's when you're a playoff contender at the beginning of the season.

The Carolina Panthers face the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, GA.

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Bryce Young played poorly against New Orleans. Several other good quarterbacks did the same last week. Bryce has a ton of potential, and patience is important. You would think Panthers fans would consider what is happening with Sam Darnold and Baker Mayfield, both obviously very good quarterbacks, who were arguably significantly less productive than Bryce has been so far while they were here, and realize the importance of continuity and development, especially in a player with an unorthodox but very exciting skill set. These things take time, and he is absolutely developing alongside the team and coaching staff around him. — Willie, Birmingham, AL

Interesting point you made there, Willie, and apropos of the coming weeks.

Darnold and Mayfield get mentioned in MVP conversations sometimes, and they're good at their jobs, on good and established teams. They're also older, with more stickers on their suitcases, and as many teams as most sports writers have wives. The Panthers were each of their seconds, and Mayfield's on his fourth and Darnold's on his fifth. And they've settled into good spots for them.

It's almost like it's about the whole team and not just one guy, but what do I know?

The development that's happening here is real. Because Young's just 24, he doesn't carry a lot of the scars Darnold and Mayfield do, though he's got his share.

And the same is true of the coaches here. Dave Canales has exactly 28 games of experience as a head coach, so he's running into stuff he's going through for the first time.

So, for seeing a forest instead of a tree, I'm making Willie here this week's Friend Of The Mailbag, and getting the appropriate honorarium on the way to him. And looking forward to seeing our old friends Sam and Baker soon (Sam is one of the most regular cats you'll ever meet, and Baker's one of the toughest. They were just here at the wrong time.)

Baker Mayfield, Sam Darnold

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Dear Darin. I thought if I put a "Dear" in front of your name, I'd get back in the mailbag. Admittedly, I haven't been putting forth my best effort. Our quarterback is smart, talented, tough, and a baller. So how did the coaching staff get the defense to turn around in the second half? Besides tackling and wrapping up. Sure, their quarterback got hurt, but they had a pretty good backup, and the change started before the injury. Sincerely yours, — Jimmy, Wilmington, NC

I always appreciate common courtesy, but the 'Bag keeps filling up. Jimmy, you're a staple, so we can't keep you out of here for long.

As for the defense, there are some technical football reasons, and there is at least one human element.

The tackling was not great in the first half, but it got much better in the second. And they talked about making some adjustments.

But it might have had something to do with Derrick Brown — as my grandfather and father liked to say — jerking a knot in some tail-ends.

The defensive captain had some words for his teammates at halftime, and they were apparently rather direct. And when Derrick Brown says direct words at you, you tend to hear them.

"I think we just have a lot of good leaders on this defense and people know when to speak up," linebacker Christian Rozeboom said. "And, obviously, whatever DB says, people are going to do.

"We were all eyes, all ears, everything," defensive end LaBryan Ray said. "That's somebody that, you know, just comes in and works, and man, he's just a hell of a leader. And it worked."

His teammates know that Derrick is a man to be taken seriously. So when he imparted his wisdom on them at halftime, they received it. And they responded.

But yes, the defense did its job in the second half.

The Falcons had 257 yards at halftime, and another 91 in the second half and overtime. They had six plays of 15 yards or more at halftime, and Drake London had five catches for 108 yards, while Bijan Robinson had 16 carries for 93 yards (5.8 per carry).

In the second half, the entire team aged just 91 yards and six points. London and Robinson had 22 yards between them, and the Falcons didn't have a play longer than 12 yards.

Message received, and acted upon.

Nic Scourton, Derrick Brown

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On the way to Charlottesville last weekend, I spotted an "Oversize Load" pilot car. It was a very exciting sight because some random car separated the pilot car from the truck carrying the oversize load, which was not supposed to happen. I think the pilot car driver was not happy. According to the NCDOT, professional pilot car drivers are recommended to bring a lunch on their drives. The escort vehicle operator should travel alone without additional passengers or animals. Do the Panthers use a giant truck and a pilot car to carry all their equipment to games? How does that work? Who drives the truck, and why? — Zach, Charlotte

This is a great week to talk about that.

Yes, the Panthers do have a big truck that hauls stuff to games, but it's a layered operation. Thankfully, equipment manager Don Toner, assistant Danny O'Toole (a true friend of content), and the entire equipment staff are the people you want on your side if you ever need to invade Normandy or go to the moon or anything.

When it's time to pack up for a road game, all the stuff players wear on Sundays stays with them. So their helmets, shoulder pads, uniforms, etc., all that is under the airplane.

But to run a football team takes a lot of stuff, and that's where our friends at RXO come in. The truck normally leaves on Thursday for a road game, but since this is a longer trip, they left on Wednesday to get to the greater San Francisco region to meet the team. Two drivers, they take turns.

The truck holds all the stuff that you need or might need on Sunday (that you don't need Thursday, Friday, and Saturday for practice). So those cases include a lot of clothing, athletic training room supplies, the extra cleats and Gatorade coolers and extra helmets beyond what are on the plane with the players. But it's more than just football; the entire traveling party has stuff on the truck.

So a lot of the content team's cameras and lenses and microphones are in a case heading west as we speak. The PR department puts the backdrop you see behind the coach during postgame interviews there. There are printers that go with the team for stats that coaches use. It's a lot of stuff. And it will be there when the plane lands, ready for action on Monday night.

Speaking of which, I just got an update from the tower, and air traffic control says now that the government's open it's time for you to GET BACK TO CLASS, ZACH.

Truck

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Whew, what a win! As a long-time Panthers fan, I'm used to the team toying with my emotions, but man, that game had vacillating from the pits of despair every time Bryce went down to jubilant whenever the team was clicking on both sides of the ball.

Simple question this week: on the TV broadcast, the refs never raised their arms to signal that the field goal was good to win the game. Why not? Did they eventually raise their arms after the cameras had cut away? Do they not have to at the end of a game? Were they unsure if it had gone through for a while? Was it personal? Did they just want to leave me in emotional duress for as long as possible? If it's the latter, then the refs certainly got a win in as well: I was genuinely so confused as to whether we had just won or not, and then sort of disappointed that we never got that cathartic moment of seeing the refs raise their arms. — John, Charlotte

John, they heard you used to teach Zach, so they figured you were used to being tortured.

But seriously, there were a lot of people in the same boat, including players and coaches.

The back judge and field judge took their normal spots under each upright, but when Ryan Fitzgerald's kick went through, they sort of stood there frozen for a second, and then looked at each other as if they were waiting for someone else to do the dirty work.

In fact, my first clue that the field goal was good was seeing Freddie the Falcon and his sidekick Freddie Jr., or whatever, faceplant in unison. That told me all I needed to know.

There was some confusion for others on the field. The Falcons were trying to leap over the line, and maybe that caused them to pause and consider. But after a few moments, referee Clay Martin (the guy in the white hat behind Fitzgerald around the 40-yard line) finally blew his whistle and gave the signal. That didn't make the television broadcast, but it is visible on the team's footage of the game.

But mostly, yeah, they just said, "Let's mess with John."

Here, dig this call from our Spanish broadcast team, it's better anyway.

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What NFL legend wide receiver would you say Tetairoa McMillan is most similar to/comparable to? — Landon, Marshall, NC

Comparisons are always kind of tricky, but he's a little bit like the Patrick Jeffers of December 1999 and January 2000. During that five-game span to close a Steve Beuerlein-quarterbacked season, the 6-3 Jeffers had 35 catches for 717 yards and eight touchdowns. That's right, 20.5 yards per reception. Jeffers didn't have what you'd call straight-line speed, but for that one specific moment in time, he was a big-play machine. Sadly, Pat had knee issues that kept him from ever replicating that month, which is a shame, because it was the damnedest five-game stretch I think I've ever seen with my own two eyes.

You were probably looking for something a little more modern, or longer-lasting.

He got a lot of Mike Evans and Tee Higgins comps during the draft process, but that's based largely just on his height. And maybe since I just talked to Andy Dalton about this last week, it's another Bengals receiver that occurs to me, that's AJ Green. He was also big and could move for a guy his size (14.5 yards per catch).

And not that those guys aren't, but McMillan is a fluid mover across the middle of the field, and has the kind of long-stride ability to turn medium plays into big ones, as you saw against the Falcons, along with leaping ability and a wingspan that allows Young a wide catch radius to throw to.

He's also a rookie, and on pace for 1,156 yards on the season. That would be 13th on the all-time rookie list for a single season. So mostly, he's working on becoming the first Tetairoa McMillan rather than the next anything.

Cincinnati Bengals A.J. Green look to make a one-handed reception against the St. Louis Rams during an NFL game in St. Louis on Sunday, Dec. 18, 2011. The Bengals won the game, 20-13. (AP Photo/G. Newman Lowrance)

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Hi Darin! What a game! I really like how you describe the reason for our turnaround as the "how", because it showed on Sunday. The Packers game and this most recent Falcons game tell the tale of two very different ways to win. To my question(s): I read a little about what Victory Monday is, and it's essentially a day off, right? If so, please tell us they've learned their lesson and won't be doing that again. Just a little PTSD from the Saints game.

Also, after watching the post-game celebration, what did Dave mean when he said he almost lost it for us (Paraphrasing)? — Jonathan, Whittier, NC

Nah, they didn't take a day off Monday, or Tuesday actually. They were all in the building, getting their bodies right and getting a start on the week. Today's the day off, so me walking around all week going "Wednesday's a Tuesday," and "Friday's a Thursday," has sufficiently annoyed my wife to the point she told me dinner would be served Monday while I was in San Francisco.

When Canales made that reference in the post-game speech, he was mostly talking about the fourth-down call after they recovered a fumble on the kickoff.

In hindsight, he said earlier this week, he wished he'd have called a timeout before that play, to settle the team.

But he is also willing to go for it, more than most coaches. The Panthers actually lead the league in fourth-down attempts and conversions (18-of-27, 66.7 percent). They're seventh in conversion rate because they try so many, but it's kind of their thing now.

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Sorry for the stat-filled sermon last week. The spirit moved me, and I felt called to the pulpit. While invoking the name of Kerry Collins did little to ease my fears, your usual balanced perspective (and larger point) grounded me, and I can once again appreciate the nuance of our present circumstances (regardless of how frustratingly reasonable that sounds). I'll let you do the preaching from now on.

Speaking of the spirit moving folks and the easing of worries, how about the Carolina Panthers passing offense? Since any one facet of the game is truly a sum of its parts, let's hear it for the o-line and backs for blocking, the QB for slinging it, the receivers for snagging it, and the coaches for scheming it up. I'm not sure if I need to eat my words, since this was exactly what I was calling for (and then some) but I am happy to do so regardless. Young didn't hurt the team on Sunday or force them to find a win in spite of him. Instead, he played hurt, and did his 1/11th while breaking a franchise record. Since I am grounded again, I know it was only one game, but it was a really good one. The Falcons made a convincing case for yet another season split on Sunday, and the Carolina Panthers (as a team) overruled it.

As for my question, I'd like to test your sleuthing abilities: There was some guy on the sidelines during the broadcast on Sunday who appeared to be wearing enormous orange oven mitts. He looked like a member of the chain-gang crew (back before that job was virtual) in terms of dress and position on the sideline. Any idea what his role is or the purpose of those gloves? Did the Panthers bring him along because they knew they had a Bird to cook? — Jake, Candler, NC

Preach on, brother. And I see what you did there.

No, the guy with the orange gauntlets is paid by the broadcast network, and he helps the officials on the field (and everybody in the stadium, really) know when they're back on TV.

Of course, there's also a big ol' clock on the side of the field over the visitor's bench that does that too at home games, but it's hard to miss the "timeout coordinator."

A sideline time official wearing an orange glove signals to the officials during a time out in an NFL football game between the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Indianapolis Colts Sunday, Nov. 26, 2023 in Indianapolis. The Colt defeated the Buccaneers 27-20. (G. Newman Lowrance via AP)

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Okay, that's a lot of egg on my face, considering my comments last week. Did I witness quite a bit of depressing play before I lost it? Yes. Did every single issue I complained about look better this week? Yes. Yes they did. It was almost like they saw it before I did and were already working on it. I did say Mr. Young is money in the last five minutes. When they got the ball that last time in regulation, I told my wife it was Bryce time, and it was. I will also note that overtime, all of it, is also Bryce time. The entire game, really, particularly the second half, was Bryce time. The defense was nasty in that second half. Nasty! I hope they can figure this two-RB thing out; they'll be better if they can.

I have two quibbles: Why do coaches keep going for two so early? I thought Super Bowl 38 put that to rest. 'Round here, the longtimers know exactly what I'm talking about. Wait til the middle of the fourth quarter to start doing that stuff. Right?

Why wouldn't they kick that game-winning field goal on third down? I thought in that situation, you do it on third, so you have a down in your pocket in case something goes wrong with the snap. Maybe JJ Jansen is so automatic that's not even considered. He's the best in the league, arguably. Those decisions didn't upset me, just something I was pondering during those moments.

I was a weiner, and I apologize to you, the fans, and the entirety of the team, Bryce and Dave most of all. I love this team sooooo much, sometimes I yell. I'm sorry. Also, 8-9 is a perfectly acceptable prediction considering the path they were on and the work Dan did in the off-season. Play like Sunday the rest of the way and they can win this division, not that they will, they can. Thanks again for this forum and all you do, Darin — Deric, Gastonia, NC

All good, Deric, we all have our moments. You're always a weiner in my eyes. Speaking of, did you hear about the cowboy who adopted a rescue dachshund? He wanted to get a long, little doggie.

But you touched on a couple of game-management things that I've committed a journalism and learned a little something about.

For one, kicking the field goal on fourth down is mostly about allowing the kicking team to keep their operations consistent. They're used to watching third down, and then trotting out and doing their jobs on fourth, so might as well reduce the number of factors, and let the process roll. And sometimes when you do that, Chuba Hubbard scores a touchdown like he did against Arizona last year.

But a lot of people asked about the two-point conversions this week, and invoked John Fox in Super Bowl XXXVIII (they'll always be Roman numerals to me, even when it's Super Bowl L).

The Panthers missed a couple of two-point attempts in the fourth quarter that day in Houston, beginning at the 12:39 mark when they trailed 21-10 and cut it to 21-16, the same as Sunday.

Of course, in a vacuum, kicking the two extra points would have forced the Patriots to win it with a touchdown. But football isn't played in a vacuum; there's too much dust and crumbs and dog hair in there. And besides, the way Tom Brady was dealing in the fourth quarter that day, they likely would have.

As it pertains to Sunday in Atlanta, the new guidance (now that people largely stopped treating math like witchcraft) basically suggests going for it any time in the second half when you can make it a one-score game. For one thing, there's no guarantee you're going to score another touchdown and have a chance to kick again.

There's a lot of math and probabilities that go into this, but sometimes there's vibes. Bryce was dealing, perhaps you noticed. And when the offense was beginning to cook, Canales just decided to turn up the heat.

But in Super Bowl XXXVIII, both those attempts were in the fourth quarter, so they'd now be considered no-brainer go-for-it situations. But our old friend John Fox, as you may recall, was a tad conservative. (He was once asked if run-first offensive coordinator Dan Henning was too conservative, and replied: "He might not be conservative enough.")

John Fox, Dan Henning

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I have a couple of questions. I don't know if you've heard the saying, you throw to score, run to win. Is that what the Panthers need to start doing offensively at the beginning of games? Maybe starting out by going up tempo on offense? Also, I know Rico Dowdle has been running mad up until that Saints game, but Chuba Hubbard has only had eight combined carries over the last two games. Is that something that Dave and the offensive staff will revisit? I'm not saying Chuba should be RB1 on the depth chart, but ideally, I think he should get 10-12 carries a game at the very least? — Nengeh, Poinciana, FL

Let's make the whole plane out of black box. The whole point, which Canales reiterated Monday, is to be balanced enough that you can run late in games. So there's something to that.

As for the RB rotation, remember a year ago last month, when I tried to quell a collective freakout by saying they'd likely need both running backs over the course of a season?

Well, they'll likely need both of them.

Chuba admitted this week he likely came back too soon from his calf injury, and wasn't 100 percent. But was talking to Jake Delhomme at halftime Sunday, and he agreed that Hubbard looked fast when he was averaging 6.0 yards per carry on his first three, in a way he hadn't before.

Being an NFL running back is a hard job, and the days of bell-cow backs who carry it 30 times a game like Stephen Davis are over. My suspicion is that those reps might begin to normalize in the coming weeks, because Hubbard will earn a few more chances.

And because Rico will likely be tired from playing the kind of snaps he didn't have a chance to in Dallas.

It's a long season. As it says behind the end zones, it takes all of us.

The Carolina Panthers face the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, GA.

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I enjoy the banter between Kristen Balboni and Riley Fields each week in the pregame show. It's nice to see what the Panthers are doing for the community. As for Riley, he ain't from around here. I hear an accent from up north. Can you give us some background on this pregame fixture every week? — Omer, Wilkesboro, NC

Because you're a Friend Of The Mailbag from way back, Omer, I went ahead and preemptively asked Riley for forgiveness on your behalf.

For those who don't know, Riley Fields is the team's director of community relations. Our ambassador of making people happy. The man in the sweet process blue blazer, with the giant checks he gets to hand out. The guy who knows the guy, all over two states. Our master of ceremonies at so many events, and one of the most genuine human beings I've ever met in my life.

And I hate to break it to you, Omer, but he's a native, a true son of the South, a University of Georgia graduate, an ancestor of the builders of the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, and the great-great-great-great-great-great-nephew of Francis Marion his own self.

But most importantly, he's a Charlotte native in the way that few people are. He is truly from and of this place (which is why the area and the people matter so much to him).

How native?

Riley Fields was born at Charlotte Memorial Hospital, not CMC, or Atrium Health Carolinas Medical Center, as they call it now. You know all the streets here named after Sharon? He dated Sharon in high school. He once suited up as Ray, the mascot of the Charlotte Parks and Recreation Department, serving as an early influence and inspiration for mascots everywhere, in the same way Arthur Smith and the Briarhoppers put Charlotte on the map (look it up, kids). He walked so Sir Purr could run.

Riley Fields was at the 1985 Great American Bash, when Harold Johnson got out of a helicopter with Ric Flair and a rubber chicken. He ice-skated at Eastland Mall. He played his Pop Warner football for the Park Sharon Bears (No. 22), who held their home games at Quail Hollow Middle. When he was in elementary school, he got his picture taken with Fred Kirby at Tweetsie Railroad.

If you know, you know.

He also happens to be one of the kindest and most sincere people you'll ever meet. Although you may have angered him by asking, because it's the first time I've ever seen I've ever seen steam come out of his ears. But he's also a man of true grace, so he is willing to forgive you.

This time.

Riley Fields, Sir Purr

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Yesterday was a wonderful team win to say the least! Bryce was phenomenal and gutsy. I hope they continue pushing the ball down the field. The defense stepped up in the 2nd half. Tre'von Moehrig is a terrific open-field tackler and saved quite a few yards in space. Nic Scourton continues to be all over the field. I liked the decision to kneel the ball at the end of the fourth because I felt we had all the momentum.

Which leads to my question. If I'm not mistaken, during the regular season, if a team scores a touchdown on its first possession in OT, the other team doesn't get a chance to possess the ball. I know it's not that way in the playoffs anymore, so the decision to kick would make more sense in that situation. How many times, if ever, have you witnessed a team win the coin toss in OT and decide to kick the ball? — Dustin, Albemarle, NC

They changed the rules this offseason to pair up the regular season rules with the postseason rules, which makes sense. (We have criminally undervalued consistency as a society.)

Now both teams get a chance to possess the ball, and it only ends after the first possession in the event of a pick-six or a safety.

Now with those rules, it absolutely makes sense to let your opponent go first, so you know what you have to do (and whether you have to go for two).

Under last year's rules, yeah, that would have been nutty. You should have seen the looks on the faces of my co-workers when I tried to explain Marty Mornhinweg to them.

The Carolina Panthers face the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, GA.

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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.

The FOTM shirt brought good luck. The Panthers played great, especially in the second half. Bryce is really tough for a little guy, with a big heart, lots of grit, and determination. All our receivers stepped up big time. The only question is, how do we keep this going? This is what I was hoping to see all year. — Roger, Matthews, NC

You got a free T-shirt, and now you want to see record-setting football every week? Some people are just spoiled.

Any chance we get to see more of Mitchell Evans in the passing game? No slight to Tremble or Ja'Tavion Sanders. Things just seem to go smoothly when the ball goes his way. Thanks for the great content! P.S. Please ask Kassidy to rub Ryan Fitzgerald on the hair for me! That guy deserves a Fresca! — Skip, Winston-Salem, NC

Mitch will get his chances, the whole group will. Diversity is a strength.

And don't let that baby face fool you. Fitzgerald is a stone-cold hustler in his heart.

Bryce Young is either a sociopath or an anarchist. I have never seen a QB who is more opposed to order and stability than he. When asked to operate within a defined, structured system, he lashes out and leads a rebellion (aka throws interceptions). But when order breaks down, when things are out of sync, and when the rising tides of pressure, chaos, and 300-pound human gorillas threaten to overwhelm him, he thrives. The Carolina Reaper dons his coal-black hood, dips his shoulder, and, with an ever-so-faint smile on his lips, icily slips his hidden blades into the defense (aka throws touchdowns). My question is, is it even possible to design an offense around a QB who scoffs at the very idea of "design?" — Simon, Charlotte

You're starting to scare me, Simon. Bryce is a mild-mannered, even-keeled adult. Haven't you seen his press conferences? (As Bryce walks by, laughing an evil laugh, whispering, "That's what I want them to think.")

So many baby-faces around here, how do they actually ever win a game?

The Carolina Panthers face the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday, Nov. 16, 2025 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta, GA.

Hey Uncle DG, happy Victory Tuesday I was wondering since the Carolina Panthers are playing on Monday Night Football next week if the Panthers are planning to have a viewing party? — Shaked, Charlotte

Hey everybody, Shaked just invited everybody to his place. Don't worry about bringing anything, he's got it covered.

Nothing planned. It's a school night.

How is Josey Jewell doing? Does the team keep in contact with him at all? Is his health in a better place? Not from a football standpoint, just in general. — Eric, Brick Township, NJ

Several people have checked in on him; this is a very tight-knit community. That's not just players, but staffers throughout the building. These people develop real relationships. Several people said he's doing well, but that's a human consideration rather than a football one. I'll let his health be his business, but like you, hope for the best for a good dude.

Greetings and salutations! I come before you as a humble FOTM wearing a beautiful blue shirt that displays my qualifications of said mailbag. In all seriousness, thank you sincerely for the shirt. This was my second-favorite thing to happen this week, with the first being the Panthers, led by BY9, beating the Falcons yesterday. My question is, what made the Panthers want week 17 to be the Industrial Workers Appreciation Week? As a career industrial guy myself, I think it's awesome, but I'm just curious what originated that idea. If I didn't have a newborn at the house, I would definitely consider going.— Cody, Four Oaks, NC

We do it for the people. Our friends in ticketing have similar promotions for teachers, first responders, and the military.

Bring the baby. What the heck. Wrap it in your new lucky shirt.

YAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!! — Bart, Monroe, NC

I'm sorry, Bart, you didn't phrase that in the form of a question. This is not 'Nam, there are rules.

I would like to know why Hunter Renfrow has not been playing for the Panthers? — Lee, Williamston, SC

They're going with young guys instead. He's still practicing, and ready, and helping every day. History suggests he'll have another chance, and he'll make another play.

But again, this team is going young on purpose, with all that entails.

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