Sunday’s win over the Los Angeles Rams brought the Carolina Panthers to a 7-6 record heading into their bye week. While players and coaches acknowledged the importance of the victory, they emphasized that it is just one step in a larger process as the team aims for sustained success.
Head coach Dave Canales addressed his team before and after the game, focusing on continuous improvement. “The challenge for the guys Saturday night was just saying, we have seen the Rams’ best football, and they’ve been playing amazing,” Canales said. “And I said no one’s seen our best yet, . . . Our best football is still out there in front of us, and that’s our goal, is to find it.”
Canales plans to review mistakes with his players before allowing them time to rest during the bye week. The team recognizes that upon returning, their position in playoff discussions will bring higher stakes compared to previous seasons.
Left tackle Ikem Ekwonu spoke about shifting expectations within the organization: “I mean, that’s the goal, we said this year we wanted to change the narrative,” Ekwonu said. “We wanted to write our own story, and I feel like, week in and week out, we’ve been doing that. So I mean, it’s definitely good having those conversations about the postseason.
“It feels good. I said it earlier, but these are the conversations we want to be having. Too many times, you know I don’t like to speak about the past too much. Too many times around this time, talking about draft picks or talking about ruining someone’s season, and that’s not the conversation I want to be in this year, and I want to be in those spots for the postseason.”
Ekwonu noted that he has experienced a playoff push before with Carolina during their 2022 campaign under an interim coach but described this season as different due to improved depth and sustainability.
With seven wins so far this season—matching their combined total from previous years—the Panthers are working toward making meaningful games an expectation rather than an exception.
Derrick Brown contributed key plays on defense against Los Angeles and praised his teammates’ attitude: “I don’t care who does it, how it looks, as long as it gets done,” Brown said after the game. “I’ll sit here, and I’ll say it like this: this is the most selfless team I’ve been a part of. I mean, from the D-line room to the back end, we all celebrate one another.
“And that’s something that I hold on a high pedestal because when you got ‘me’ guys, then you won’t be able to form a culture here.”
Running back Chuba Hubbard also played a significant role with consistent rushing efforts throughout Sunday’s game. Reflecting on his time with Carolina he stated: “I said this a few weeks ago that I prayed so many times for moments like this,” Hubbard said. “Been in Carolina five years now, and the goal has been to bring wins to Carolina, bring good football to Carolina, no matter how that looks. So that’s always been my goal. I know that’s been the goal of other guys that have been here since way back as well, and to see it come to light now, it’s just a blessing.”
Hubbard emphasized persistence through challenges: “Things don’t just change overnight, and we saw glimpses of it last year,” Hubbard said. “And we just kept chopping away, kept chopping away finished the way we wanted to this year. Obviously a little choppy start but we got back to our ball and our process and it just kind of started coming to light so it feels good.” He added that unselfishness was evident among teammates eager for opportunities primarily focused on winning.
Quarterback Bryce Young led another late-game drive resulting in victory—a pattern since joining Carolina—and continues emphasizing daily preparation alongside veteran leaders such as Brown.
When asked about what drives resilience within his squad Canales replied: “It’s humility,” he explained. “It’s playing games where we’re humbled by not having great execution and knowing that we have to get back to our basics our fundamentals and execution And this is a humble group It’s leadership of our team
“It’s Derrick Brown and it’s Bryce these guys are taking one game saying we can do better than this rising challenge making sure we’re being intentional with what we’re doing every single day how critical it is execute on game day”
Canales also acknowledged fan support during difficult weather conditions at Bank of America Stadium: “It was wet they were loud and it was noticeable,” he said regarding those who attended Sunday’s match despite inclement weather.
As they enter their bye week positioned for potential postseason play—a shift from recent years—the Panthers see themselves building toward lasting competitiveness rather than short-term surprises.
