Carolina Panthers coach Dave Canales, right, and quarterback Bryce Young will work in practice to improve pre-snap communications.
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CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - SEPTEMBER 15: Quarterback Bryce Young #9 talks with head coach Dave Canales of the Carolina Panthers talks with at Bank of America Stadium on September 15, 2024 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
In an up-and-down season that sees the Carolina Panthers at 5-5 over halfway through, their 17-7 home loss to the New Orleans Saints was a low point. In the first game, the team was favored all season, and with a chance to make up some ground in the NFC South, the Panthers laid an egg.
Now, the team is reflecting this week on how they can improve moving forward and finish out the season strong for a potential playoff push.
The defensive leaders on the Panthers this week have taken accountability and are determined to produce a different result on Sunday.
Jaycee Horn Says He’ll Be Better
Throughout practice this week, star cornerback Jaycee Horn has shown visible frustration, unsatisfied with his performance against the Saints, especially as a leader on defense.
Kassidy Hill ofPanthers.com wrote about Horn’s frustrations in her November 14 article.
“I let them down today; two big plays that cost us the game. That’s it. I feel like everybody else played good,” Horn said at the time. “I’m one of the leaders of this team. I’m one of the highest-paid guys on this team, and I’ve got to be better.”
Horn wasn’t the only member of the Panthers’ defense who spoke about personal accountability. Rookie linebacker Nic Scourton also discussed being accountable in a candid interview at his locker, captured byJoe Person of The Athletic.
“Some guys got too big-headed and forgot what really goes on in the NFL,” Scourton said.
Scourton’s words have been echoed in various ways this week, and it is an opportunity for the Panthers to refocus.
Wake-UP Call
The Panthers know now, with how competitive the NFC has been this year and looking up at a formidable Tampa Bay Buccaneers team, they have their work cut out for them the rest of the year, but also they know everything they want is still in front of them.
When the Panthers play the Atlanta Falcons, they will attempt to bring a renewed focus to the game, something head coach Dave Canales had been harping on all week.
Darin Gantt ofPanthers.com wrote about Canales and his message of refocusing on the fly in his November 12 article.
“This game is humbling, because every single week you play a group of professionals, regardless of what the record says,” Canales said. “These are pros, and there are phenomenal players in every group, and if you don’t play to your best, if you don’t execute, and we don’t play complementary football together, you can lose every week. And you can also win by playing a certain way and by taking care of the details and the critical parts of our game. So it’s a reminder, and it’s a wake-up call.”
Canales then noted that the team had to lean on the same systems that had brought them success this season.
“Now with me at least for a year and a half, we have to make sure that we lean on our processes, we lean on the things that count on that we count on to get our bodies right, to get our minds right so we can be confident, and we can play fast on Sundays,” Canales said.
The Panthers will attempt to get back on track and return to a winning record.