A year ago, Dave Canales, the head coach of the Panthers, assessed his first NFL season schedule. His team had just finished a 2-15 season, and he realized that prime-time games needed to be earned. “You got to earn prime-time games,” he noted, explaining why the Panthers had none in 2024 apart from a game in Germany.
Canales emphasized building a football version they could be proud of and showcasing their players’ strengths. The goal was for the world to eventually want to watch them play.
The Panthers made progress by improving their record from two wins to 5-12. This upward trend included four wins in the latter half of the season and three narrow losses. Quarterback Bryce Young played a significant role, completing 61.8 percent of his passes over his last ten games with 15 touchdowns and six interceptions.
This improvement led to a prime-time game against the San Francisco 49ers on Monday Night Football in Week 12. “I just love the opportunities to be able to play those types of games,” Canales said after the schedule announcement.
The matchup against the 49ers will feature running back Christian McCaffrey facing his former team. For now, Canales is focused on preparing for this high-stakes game across the country.
“The challenge is to go on the road, go across the country, and you know, really feel the high stakes games as we build this and we compete to win the division,” Canales stated.
Although eligible for flex scheduling out of Monday night since it’s in Week 12, Canales hopes they can prove themselves worthy of such spotlighted matches. “The hope is that we are working ourselves into that…we can go out there and just play our best,” he explained.
After facing off against the 49ers under national scrutiny, Carolina will host the Los Angeles Rams before heading into their late Week 14 bye week.
