After a loss like the Panthers’ 42-13 showing in Foxboro everything is questioned. Ownership is questioned. Draft choices are questioned. Players are questioned. But Sunday, more so than ever, head coach Dave Canales was questioned and after the beat down he didn’t hesitate to take responsibility.
“When it happens in all phases I’m the common denominator and I have to take responsibility for that,” Canales said during his postgame press conference. “I have to make sure I’m pushing the guys the right way. I have to evaluate what we’re doing, how we’re working and how we’re preparing our guys. I felt confident about that part, but we’re not getting the results. And so, this is something that I have to just really press in – making sure we’re not overlooking anything and making sure we’re having the right combination of guys out there in every phase.”
The hope that was infused into franchise after a shut out win just week ago, quickly dissipated when the Panthers fell off of the rails after a Marcus Jones’ 87 yard punt return for a touchdown put the Patriots up one point. New England would go on to score 42 unanswered points.
After the loss players defended head coach Dave Canales, pointing out that they’re the ones who have to execute the game plan.
“That’s what he’s supposed to say, but he can’t go out there and play,” cornerback Jaycee Horn said. “We got to come ready to play. We got to be ready to play on all three phases and we weren’t. Offense wasn’t ready. Defense wasn’t ready. Special teams weren’t ready.”
“We had a great week of practice,” Horn continued. “I can tell you that we looked prepared all week in practice. That doesn’t mean you’re gonna play good on Sunday. You’ve gotta show up and do it and that’s not on him. We gotta be ready.”
“I wouldn’t put this loss on any of the coaches,” running back Chuba Hubbard said. “Obviously, Coach Dave and everyone are going to take the blame, but we as players have to do better from every side of the ball— offense, defense, special teams.”
“It’s on me. It’s on everybody in that locker room,” quarterback Bryce Young said. “We talked about that after. We all take accountability. We all have to look in the mirror. We all have to understand what we can do better. It’s definitely not on one person. It’s all of us that have to be better.”
“Coach takes the blame for us all the time,” added defensive lineman Derrick Brown. “We gotta step up. We gotta have his back. The feeling we had last week is one that we need to keep having.”
That’s been the difficult part for the Panthers. Chasing that winning feeling in back to back weeks is something Carolina has only been able to do twice since 2022. It’s something the locker room and the fan base desperately need. It’s a responsibility that ultimately falls on the head coach and Dave Canales knows it.
A Massacre In Foxboro: Panthers Lose In A Rout Vs Patriots