CHARLOTTE — Everyone enjoyed their bye week.

But by Monday, they were also ready to get back to work, for the obvious reasons.

Waking up tied for first in the division with Tampa Bay at 7-6 (thanks to Sunday's New Orleans win over the Bucs) got all their attention immediately, but having a bonus day for a short practice on Monday allowed them to shift back into gear.

"The work brings us back," Canales said. "It was a really excited group to be back out there, with the great opponent coming up this week, and knowing especially how tough the Saints played us last time, the guys are really excited about the opportunity.

"We have to get back to football, and I hope that the group understands at this point in the season, every week is a championship opportunity. It truly is, and we have everything in front of us right now, so we're excited to get back to work."

Of course, what happened to them the last time they saw the Saints should stand as plenty of object lesson, as if a potential playoff berth being possible wasn't enough. Coming off their stunning win at Green Bay in Week 9, they came back here and played a flat game against the Saints, losing 17-7. Then they bounced back to beat the Falcons, then they lost to the 49ers, before coming back home in a short week and beating the Rams.

As Canales builds this team, he's hoping to avoid those kinds of swings and develop the consistency that comes with time.

"That's the greatest challenge for all of us across the league," Canales said. "It's the ability to refocus, the ability to take it one week at a time and one day at a time, because that process leads to good results and making sure you capture those days. No day is less important than the other. We have to make sure we go through a great process. Everyone's focused, locked in, and finishing up with the weight room session after practice.

"It's like, hey, the day is not over, there's great work in there too, and how you do anything is how you do everything. And that's got to be the mentality, and that's the sign of maturity that I'm looking for from this group is to continue to just build off of wins, to build off of, OK, now we have to go back to work, let's correct the things we need to correct, let's look at the things that work for us well, let's try to continue to lean into those things, but also just making sure that we have the right focus for the task at hand."

Again, with the division title "right there in front of them," focus should not be an issue.

Getting some guys back on the field

With the weekend off, the Panthers appeared to be much healthier on Monday.

They didn't have to fill out an injury report and won't until Monday, but Canales said that Jaycee Horn and Claudin Cherelus remain in the concussion protocol, but were "trending in the right direction" to play this week.

They also had linebacker Christian Rozeboom and center Cade Mays back on the field Monday, which are at least non-negative signs. Coupled with the return from suspension of Tre'von Moehrig, the Panthers were a reasonably healthy group for the second week in December.

"It's huge right now," Canales said. "And we would have loved to have had Jaycee and Claud and Tre out there on Sunday. And I've got to give a lot of love to the guys who had opportunities to come and help us and show us what they can do, but we're excited to get all those guys back on the field, and to really just have about as strong a group as we've had."

They might have to wait for more reinforcements on the offensive line, however.

Canales said they did not expect to open the practice window for guard Robert Hunt, though he said that could still happen this season.

"He's getting closer," Canales said. "We're not opening up his window this week, but he's getting closer.

"He's getting stronger and would love to see him back at some point over this next stretch."

Rozeboom feeling healthy at perfect time

Rozeboom knew the moment his hip got injured versus Atlanta in Week 11. It was midway through the fourth-quarter and the left hip immediately felt off. But the Panthers were down two points and getting Kirk Cousins and company off the field was paramount.

"I felt it on one play, but I felt like I could kind of get through it," Rozeboom explained on Monday of the injury that eventually sidelined him for two games.

Three plays later, his hamstring pulled as he raced downfield towards Darnell Mooney. Corey Thornton was able to make the pass break-up, but Rozeboom was down.

"So I think it was a little bit of compensation (for the hip), which was unfortunate, but, stuff like that happens."

It meant the Panthers starting linebacker was watching the games as Carolina took on the 49ers on Monday Night Football (a game in which Trevin Wallace was also sidelined) and the huge Week 12 win against the Los Angeles Rams, Rozeboom's former team.

He was hopeful to play in the latter, and pushed to be on the field. But trainers, understandably, take health into account over former teams.

"They were aware of it, but they don't care at the end of the day," laughed Rozeboom.

"Obviously it was—like it was fun to watch and then to win and all that. I'll take a win and not play one down any day, but at the same time—because I was maybe going to be able to go, but you can't really factor in who you're playing kind of in that, in that decision. So, just kind of make the best decision for the team and being healthy going forward."

It's that last part that ultimately made the decision for Rozeboom and the trainers. Knowing where the bye week fell and what the Panthers are going to need from every single one of their guys over the next month meant the bye week came at the perfect time for the linebacker.

"I think that was obviously part of the plan," explained Rozeboom. "Kind of when it happened is knowing that that bye week was in the third week of it, so yeah, it came at a good time. Never had a bye week that late, but in this case it ended up kind of working out for me. So, yeah, feeling good."

Carolina should have both their starting linebackers now for the final push. Wallace returned for the Rams game.

They'll all be called upon Sunday as the Panthers face a scrappy Saints team that got the best of Carolina in Week 10, and defeated the Bucs on Sunday. The key, said Rozeboom, is building on everything they've done till now.

"Just staying connected with the rush, staying connected on the back end because plays are going to extend, and that's every week," said Rozeboom. "We've got to be connected and do our job no matter who we're playing and especially this week, with a guy (quarterback Tyler Shough) who who's getting out of the pocket and making plays with his legs."