HOUSTON — Panthers head coach Dave Canales had considered letting his starters continue to play on Saturday.

But he also didn't see anything from them to indicate that it was needed.

Both the starting offense and defense got two quick series in a 20-3 loss to the Texans, and Canales was content to call it a short night after the offense went three-and-out twice, and the defense allowed a touchdown drive to the Texans starters.

"I just wanted them to go out and earn another series," Canales said. "And I just really felt like, with giving them two shots to do it and it not coming up, I wasn't going to just put them back out there to kind of say, 'Hey, let's just play some more football.'

"That, paired with the great work we got two days ago, and you know I just kind of looked at it that way. I felt like the work we got against the Texans in the practice was good enough for me to kind of look at that and wanted them to get the prep and get ready for the game."

But make no mistake, what he saw from his team during Saturday's game was not good enough.

While preseason games are always a mixed bag of personnel combined with varying motivations, the numbers tell a story they won't want to hear on their next "Tell The Truth Monday."

The Panthers were a combined 1-of-10 on third downs. They committed seven penalties for 58 yards, a couple of them wiping out good runs. But they also averaged just 3.4 yards per rush on 23 attempts, which is not consistent with their charter.

They also dropped passes (specifically tight end Ja'Tavion Sanders), a missed connection between Bryce Young and Tetairoa McMillan, threw two interceptions, missed a field goal, and an unblocked Danielle Hunter hit backup quarterback Andy Dalton in the right elbow, knocking him out of the game and into tests on Sunday.

Canales is the eternal optimist, but after the game, he was also a realist.

"A lot of good work out there, but to me, I think to kind of sum it up, it was a day of almosts," he said. "So I just challenged the group. I was like, are we going to be almost good? Are we going to make the plays when they're there to be made?

"One for 10 on third down, JT Sanders misses a ball, Bryce hit him right in stride. We got a double move, TMac's probably going to score a touchdown. We didn't block Danielle Hunter on the right, he hit Andy in the elbow. And then, Jack Plummer, two interceptions. That makes it a really difficult day."

Of course, he's Dave Canales, so he's also going to bring it right back to the place he starts.

He loves this team. He just wants it to play better.

"I'm excited about our group," he said. "I'm excited about the talent that we have out there, but can we play together, and can we make it come alive? And we didn't do that to our standard, and to my standard today."

Just as no person is so messed up that they can't at least serve as a bad example, even after a sloppy game, Canales latched on to all the teaching points they had in front of them.

"We've seen guys do it," he said. "Consistently and then inconsistently, when we get into our game settings, and so it just allows me to challenge them, like we're trying to win all these games with whatever group goes out there. That's the goal, and to not be able to get that done, you know it's frustrating."

That work will continue on the practice field Monday and Tuesday, since Canales said he did not plan to play the starters in the preseason finale Thursday against the Steelers.

That adds meaning to what they do on the practice fields next week, heading into the final audition for a lot of players competing for jobs or roles.

"So those practices really become so valuable," he said. "Because it's the last time we have this whole group together, and we're able to get the intensity that we want going into the season. I feel great about our conditioning level. I feel great about the physicality of the play. I don't feel great about our execution of the basics because it's not showing up consistently for us, and there are flashes.

"I'm excited about our guys. I'm excited about our people, but that's where leadership comes in, and when are we going to take those steps to count on each other, and to be able to make those plays when they're available?"