CHARLOTTE — Because he is committed to a routine, Panthers head coach Dave Canales brought his guys in Monday and went through the film.

And then he turned them loose, and they were out the door with luggage.

The Panthers not only get to celebrate a 31-28 win over the Rams that moved them to 7-6 and legitimate playoff consideration, but a hard-earned bye.

When players leave the building, they have off until they reconvene next Monday to prepare for the final four-week sprint.

"The importance of the bye-week, getting our recovery from a physical standpoint, but also just mentally, emotionally," Canales said of the break. "This is a long season, making sure that we take that break, but make sure we keep moving and be ready to get back to work. Every game is a championship opportunity. It's what we've been stressing, and our mentality is that one.

"We have to look at the Saints. This is our next opponent. When we come back after the bye, we get right back to work and keep that focus. How long can we maintain the week-to-week focus, and how long can we really accentuate each day? How can we attack that day and win it, whatever we're doing on that day, from a game plan standpoint, practice standpoint, they're all important. It's this time of year that the teams that continue to improve fundamentally are the ones that will find success, so we have to be committed to the basics."

The team will keep the lights on at Bank of America Stadium, guys can come in and get a workout, or get treatment. But after coaches go through a few days of self-scouting and early work on the Saints, they'll split too, because everyone needs a break.

They've been going hard since the start of training camp, so they have every reason to be dragging, despite Sunday's result.

"Guys are free to do and go wherever they want to go, and my message to them is just, look what we're playing for, look what we're working for," Canales said. "Let's be smart, let's take care of our bodies, make sure we move within reason. So just giving them some last remarks and making sure that they all understand: we have something great to protect here, and we have another opportunity coming back after the bye. So let's be smart about this week and let's hit the ground running."

Bye week a perfect time to get healthy

The Panthers have the latest possible bye week in the NFL, which is finally coming in Week 14. But for a team preparing for a playoff push with a handful of starters sidelined with injury, it comes at a great time.

Dave Canales told reporters on Monday that he expects both Jaycee Horn and Claudin Cherelus to be available after the bye week. Both are still currently in the concussion protocol following injuries sustained against the 49ers on Monday Night Football. They have to be cleared by an independent neurologist to return.

"Both he and Claude are still in the concussion protocol, but daily improvement, and we'll circle back around once we get closer to next week," Canales said.

Carolina came out of Sunday's win against the Rams relatively healthy. Offensive tackle Taylor Moton missed a series with an oblique injury, but was able to return. Rookie safety Lathan Ransom, who had a game-high 11 tackles and registered a sack in his first start, sustained a thumb injury.

One piece of injury news that the Panthers have monitored most of the season is the possible return of offensive guard Robert Hunt The Pro Bowler was injured in Week 2 with a long-term biceps injury. Canales has been cautiously optimistic that Hunt could return towards the end of the season.

On Monday, Canales reiterated the hopeful yet tempered expectations for a Hunt return.

"He's working his way back. He's doing a great job in return to play," the coach shared. "He's getting stronger, and we have to just continue to take it week by week to see we want—that strength in his arm to come back so that he has balance and be able to stop a big man trying to redirect.

"We're going to have to be really smart about that, and I can't tell you exactly what the timeline is, but it'll be a weekly thing to kind of see where he's at."

The Panthers currently stand half a game behind the Bucs in the division, with four games to play (including two against Tampa Bay). Those standings and how they could change won't affect whether or not Hunt is on the field, though, Canales said.

"The focus has to just be on Robert's health, and when he's healthy and ready to go, he'll play for the Panthers. And, that could be this year, and I hope it is, but really it's like, if we had a chance to get Rob back, we want him back."

Panthers feel like they've finally hit on balanced run game

When Chuba Hubbard returned to the field in Week 7 after two weeks sidelined from a calf injury, the Panthers hoped to have an even timeshare between he and Rico Dowdle, who had over 200-plus scrimmage yards a week in Hubbard's absence.

Instead, the traded-off series made for a clunky approach that didn't benefit either guy. After a couple of weeks, the team returned to riding the hot hand, which was Dowdle. When Hubbard finally felt like himself again in Week 11, it opened up the possibility to play both guys more again.

A strong passing attack versus the Falcons, then a limited number of plays in the loss to the 49ers, meant neither game was a chance to try a new approach. Finally, against the Rams, Canales and crew feel they've found a balance that benefits everyone involved and paid dividends in the win.

"Some of it was third-down opportunities. We've been using Chuba primarily as our third-down back, and then he gets series as we go," explained Canales. "And the way that we play on third down, we mix our runs, we mix some of like the perimeter screen he had a touchdown on, just different ways to allow him to affect the game.

"And especially because of how he's looked in the last couple of weeks, he's looked really strong, really powerful, and just making sure that he's a weapon for us in different ways."

Hubbard finished with 17 rushes for 83 yards, and two receptions for 41 yards and the touchdown. The touchdown came on the screen Canales mentioned, and was thrown behind the line of scrimmage, meaning all of Hubbard's yards on the "receiving touchdown" technically came running.

"And for Rico, you know, giving him the lion's share of some of those first and second down, those early series and all that is a great way to just get him the ball."

Dowdle picked up 58 yards on 18 rushes, plus pulled in two receptions for 21 yards.

The Panthers had two running backs each record at least 75 scrimmage yards in a game for the first time since Dec. 24, 2022, when D'Onta Foreman and Hubbard did so against the Lions. Carolina also called a run play on 38 of 62 offensive plays (61.3 percent), their highest rate under coach Dave Canales.

"So, I like where we're at," said Canales. "I like the balance."

And it's a balance the Panthers know they will need down the stretch.

"Got to give (running backs coach) Bernie Parmalee a lot of credit for the way he got those guys in there to be able to mix it and make sure that they're both impacting the game.

"As we continue to grow as a team offensively speaking, these are two guys that are veteran players who can really help us, and sometimes it's just about that. It's like, they're dynamic players, but also their leadership and how they attack the game gives a lot of confidence to the group."