In Stark Contrast To Early Week Criticism, Panthers QB Earns High Praise From Head Coach Dave Canales For His Work Ethic Ahead Of Falcons Clash
Charlotte, North Carolina
At the start of the week, the entire Carolina Panthers organization felt like its energy had been dragged down after the loss to the New Orleans Saints in Week 10. The image of Bryce Young walking off the field with a tense expression, sitting alone on the bench and barely interacting with his teammates became a talking point on sports talk shows.
In that game, Young played below expectations. The Saints shut down the run game, especially Rico Dowdle, and forced the Panthers to live and die by Young’s arm. The script followed exactly what Cat Crave had broken down. There were no truly dangerous deep shots, his passes lacked zip, and the interception to Alontae Taylor only deepened doubts about his confidence.
When he was taken out of the game, Bryce Young quietly sat at the end of the bench, eyes staring off into the distance. Many observers felt that was the image of a young quarterback weighed down by pressure and reacting in a less than professional way to a bad performance.
Yet only a few days later, the story flipped completely. By midweek, Bryce Young suddenly emerged as the practice standard that head coach Dave Canales himself publicly praised, right before a crucial matchup against the Atlanta Falcons.
From emotional rock bottom after the Saints loss...
Week 10 was more than just another defeat. It exposed the full extent of the Panthers’ offensive issues.
With Bryce Young:
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Rarely surpassing 200 passing yards
Seldom attacking downfield with explosive throws
Operating inside Dave Canales’ run first, ultra cautious approach
Once the Saints suffocated the run, the Panthers looked like a unit with no Plan B. Young was forced to throw more in a state where he did not look fully confident. The result was a stalled offense and a quarterback whose mentality seemed to sag with every failed drive.
So the wave of criticism early in the week was inevitable. People began to ask hard questions. Is Bryce Young really the long term answer for Carolina. Is Dave Canales protecting him so much that he is unintentionally putting a ceiling on the entire offense. And most importantly, does Young have the mental toughness to get back up after a week where every arrow is pointed straight at him.
...to a turning point on the practice field
According to people around the team, things began to change from the very first practice after the loss.
Bryce Young was the first player to arrive at the facility, even beating some staff members in. He went straight to the film room to break down every failed sequence and every moment of hesitation in his drop backs against the Saints.
On the practice field, Young actively asked for extra reps.
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Reworking intermediate and deep throws that the Panthers had largely abandoned for weeks
Rebuilding timing with his wide receivers, especially on routes that demand decisiveness over the middle
Staying out on the field while most of his teammates were already heading inside
If early in the week he was being criticized for low energy and negativity after the loss, by midweek he looked like a completely different version of himself. He did not talk much, he did not complain. He simply worked more than everyone else.
Dave Canales confirms it: "Bryce has clearly learned from the criticism..."
At his midweek press conference, when asked about Young’s reaction to the wave of criticism, Dave Canales did not dodge the question. He admitted the entire team played poorly against the Saints, and that included Bryce Young. But what impressed him was how his young quarterback responded to all the noise.
Canales said:
"Bryce has clearly learned from the criticism at the start of the week, and I see that right now. He is no longer the kid with pressure weighing him down, he is a quarterback who is stepping up, taking responsibility and doing everything he can to fix it."
This was not just a polite compliment. According to Canales, Young had taken the initiative to revisit the playbook, talk more deeply about downfield concepts and emphasize that he is ready to take more risks if that is what it takes to bring the offense back to life.
If earlier in the season the Panthers were being slammed for keeping Young trapped inside a cautious system, then this week it is Young himself who is pushing to have those limits removed.
Preparing for the Falcons: a chance for a “new version” of Bryce Young to show up
The upcoming game against the Atlanta Falcons is shaping up to be a key test for both Bryce Young and Dave Canales.
For Young, it is a chance to prove that:
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He does not just hear the criticism, he can turn it into fuel
The dark image on the bench after the Saints game was a moment, not his identity
He can lead this Panthers offense out of the “safe but lifeless” label
For Canales, it is an opportunity to show that he truly believes in Young’s growth and is willing to call a more aggressive game, shaking off the fear of turnovers that has haunted this team all season.
If Bryce Young can carry this midweek practice mentality into live action, the Saints loss may eventually be remembered as an emotional turning point rather than just another mark in the loss column.
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