Panthers Playoff Hopes: Bryce Young’s Leap & T-Mac’s Rise!

Panthers Playoff Hopes: Bryce Young’s Leap & T-Mac’s Rise!

Are the Carolina Panthers, Steve, a playoff team? Let’s go. Six and five, marking the first time the team has won six of their first 11 games since 2018. They are on a little bit of a heater right now. Monster performance from the quarterback. We’ll get to, but I remember you hitting me up like a week ago or so and you were kind of like, I feel like they’re actually playing pretty good football. Yeah. Like they are. and and I think Dave Canalis it’s kind of flipped a little bit in the national perspective when I talk to people around the league like he’s he’s coaching pretty well right now and and what’s going on there in Carolina. Initial thoughts as we get started or what? Well, first of all, Dave Canales is coaching his patootie off and he’s doing a great job. One of the things I really love about Coach Canales is the Panthers do a good job on social media of showing and also the different uh networks of showing the speeches after the game. I love that right before a lot of people don’t realize now they don’t show the losing because there’d be a lot of bleeping and bleeping in there. But I love what coach Canales had said that really as a former player I thought that was a lifeline. It was gold when he said, “Hey, we had some bad plays and I also called some bad plays.” So he’s now tell you you now have a coach who is willing to point out you but also point to himself and say I need to be better. That’s how you build a football team who will be willing to run through a brick wall for you because they know you coach has my back versus there are some coaches get up there and they throw you to the wolves. They throw you under the bus. They talk about this guy didn’t do this and that guy didn’t do that. And so I I love that he said that and he he said it to the team first, which means he’s not just giving lip service. Yeah. He’s not saying it because it’s convenient and it sounds good. He’s being raw and uncut and transparent like he always has been. That was one of the things I thought that really stood out to me immediately. And then I go back into the game and I just see some things unfold. Like this is the first time this year in his career, Bryce Young has had 35 plus pass attempts and has won the football game. Previous years in his his short career, 0 and2, right? A great stat. And so that that that’s awesome that Bryce got over that hump. But what’s even more interesting is how he got there because I don’t want to say it, but I got to. The first half was not really good for Bryce and it started to kind of be a little bit of a dink and dunk. And you know me, whether it’s the home team or not, I’m always critical of a quarterback who is dinking and dunking because there’s too many routes that’s being ran for deep for you to be checked down, Charlie. And so I I was great to it was great to see some explosive plays down the field by Bryce Young. I made the statement on the radio and I’ll make it again. Bryce is not throwing the ball deep consistently. Now he’s shown that he can. We know what he did in college, but thus far in his NFL career, he hasn’t really taken the risky throws. He’s been more of a safe quarterback and at times that could be a little bit frustrating for Panther fans, but also frustrating for the play caller and what can he do. So, it was great to see Bryce put the ball uh down the field getting Xavier Legette an opportunity because it’s been a little bit dicey. Some people have had a lot of things to say about him. And then going over T-Mac first time this year, 132 yards, I believe, seven receptions. Did an outstanding job. Had a little giddy up, too. Caught a deep end and got going. So, that that was really nice to see. uh Jaylen Coker, he’s getting back into it. But you can see that there are levels to this offense. You have T-Mac that’s running the the possession receiver, the number one possession receiver for the Carolina Panthers, running deep ends, running a lot of intermediate routes, and then Jaylen Coker, he’s doing his thing. And then Xavier Legettton, Jimmy Horn, they’re utilizing those guys. Tommy Treble’s doing an excellent job. But man, the story of the day has to be. I called it and I said it and I talk about it. It’s going to be an interesting dynamic for the Carolina Panthers in that backfield coming this off season. You have a couple of million dollars locked in and guaranteed for Chuba Hubert and you have a expiring contract for Rico D D who you don’t want to let that young man go. I don’t think so. How could you? I I don’t know. Hey, I I’ve seen I’ve seen things happen before. Weirder things have happened before, right? Mhm. So I I I think they have a what we call rich people problems, right? They they they got they got too many they got too many thoroughb breads in the barn and they’re trying to figure out which one do we run. No, sometimes that’s I mean I I don’t like the idea that’s a good problem to have. It’s still a problem. Um and financially is financially and the way you manipulate your numbers, it’s going to be an issue in that sense, too. To go back to where you started, I just kind of wanted to say it. I I I like the way Dave has coached this. I like the way Dave coaches. I like that he’s getting some payoff in the style of coach. If you know anything about Dave Canal and the what you know this, Steve, the positivity operates, right? The places he’s been. I mean, he’s a Pete Carol disciple. There’s not a lot of those guys. Let me tell you, with Coach Canales, I think you understated how positive he is. The first time I The first few times I met him, I’m like, “This dude cannot be this happy all the time.” Yeah, he is. Yeah, he is. Right. He But over over the time now that, you know, I popped up popped in there in the facility here and there, he’s kind of opened up a little bit to me and and has said, “Hey, man. These are some of the things we’re working on.” I was like, “Oh.” So, that’s just his personality. He’s always gonna give you He’s always gonna give you the positive first and then Right. So he’s done a really good job talking about a PO disciple. He understands the philosophy method of being a counselor which is a sandwich. It’s a great point. Right. Bread is the compliment. The meat is the the correction or criticism. Bread is followed up with a compliment. I’ve never heard that, but I’m stealing it. Yeah, I’m gonna use it as a parent. Um, and and you’re right. And and the way he works, it’s the type of coach, Steve, that if if you start seeing these wins snowball, guys start going, “Okay, I get what he was doing.” Because I was hearing that like practice is going well. You know what I mean? Like the the the players are taking ownership. the side conversations, the extra work, the things guys are doing on their own in terms of this this kind of culture he’s kind of creating in the way they’re doing it. And then when you get wins, it validates what he’s saying. Because the other part that Dave is really, really good at, and I remember having a conversation with him when he was really just kind of turning things around there in Tampa running that offense before he got the job, it’s he’s so flexible, Steve. Yeah, he is. He’s so flexible. And you don’t really see You don’t really see that a lot. You don’t see that a lot from head coaches, man. Dude, this is my way. Steve, what are you talking about? Get my way or the highway. Yeah, I’ve been doing I’ve been doing this before you was born. Yes. But he sits there and goes, “Wait, we have this and we have this. I can move the way I do it so we can be successful.” That’s a that’s a big way of how he runs this offense and the way it works. What we were waiting for or were still trying to see and find out is a lot of this offense operates in what can the quarterback do and what can the quarterback not do and we can manipulate. It’s not a West Coast like strict system. It is very flexible in the way that work for the quarterback. And man, we’ve just been waiting the way they’ve run run the football to go when the box gets stacked, can Bryce go out there and make a defense pay for them focusing on the run the way that defenses are starting to focus on the run with the problem that you mentioned in the back field. And what did we see? 448 yards. Yes, that’s a franchise record right there. He had 318 in the second half and overtime. So give it up for Bryce Young. Got to give it to him, right? Got to give it to him. And little banged up in the game, too. Yes. Yes, he was. He was banged up. What I’m loving about this offense for the Carolina Panthers is we now know that this is this offense is predicated on running the football. Yes. But this is not because Bryce can’t play. It is because this is the structure of the offense. It is run that opens up the field so your quarterback can see and slow down a top tier defense who creates a lot of pressure and tackles for losses and sacks and hits by the quarterback. Right. They’re I believe top 10, top five in that category. Oh, and and there’s what’ you say? Yeah. 100%. Yeah. Closer to the top. It makes it why that is important is because it’s like the Los Angeles Rams where we talk about the where they just played the Seattle Seahawks and you saw a little bit that Sam Darnold was under duress a lot and that allowed more opportunities for the Los Angeles Rams. And because of the running game and the strong running game and staying committed to the running game, it opened up the pass in the second half that just did some things. And then you got guys get in a groove. Tommy T, Tommy Treble catching that pass and get going. He is normally used as a blocking tight, a blocking tight end and used in the fullback position and he goes out there and gets gets going. Mhm. It’s really nice to see this team start to develop. They’re a young squad and you know, you’re going to see some things where the next couple of weeks going to be pretty tough. They have the San Francisco 49ers coming up on Monday Night Football. Then they have uh who else do they have? Um they got to still play Tampa Bay at San Francisco. Oh, a tough one. At home verse the Rams. Ooh. Uh, bye- then at the Saints verse Tampa verse the Seahawks at Tampa, which is why and I have this I, you know, I work at the Athletic as well. We have this unbelievable metric system of of of calculating everything. Right now, where they sit, they’re six and five. I think they’re ninth in the NFC, right? Yeah. They’re in the hut. They’re in the They’re in the hunt. They have a 23% chance right now of making the postseason. So, you know what that you know what that tells me? Hit me. You got a chance. You got a chance. You got Oh, you certainly got a chance. You certainly have a chance. So, let me let me ask you though, as a former player, I I’m I’m kind of stuck in the middle with a team like the Carolina Panthers who are surging, but also too, do you really want to go to the playoffs? Do you want to go to the playoffs on the road and go play a top-seated team that we all know those top seated teams could be, you know, if the Philadelphia Eagles continue to to to if the Philadelphia Eagles continue to keep winning, they get a buy. But then after that, some of the other teams that you have to play, they’re pretty stout, right? And they and they they become complicated. And what’s the real what is the real expectations if they make the playoffs that they can win a football game? And I know it’s hey get in a get in the get in the hunt and we give ourselves a chance. Yes, you give yourself a chance. But here’s why I asked that. Because when you look at this game for the Carolina Panthers, the first half defensively was not very good. A lot of communication errors. Mhm. I looked back in the first and to see what was the difference in the first half to the second half. The first half explosive plays in the first half for the Falcons. 12 personnel were happening. Mhm. 12 personnel, which means that you have a you don’t have a corner or a nickel or a dime at that position. You got a Sam or Will linebacker. So, what they do? They condense the formation, put Moody in motion or put him outside so he’s going to stretch the field. Then they had Drake London in the slot and he’s running deep overs and now you have a Will or Sam or Mike linebacker who is now covering and saying, “Hey, you you you because that that defender runs out of his area.” But the problem is there’s no one there. Yeah. To cover him because buddy, you’re the cover guy. You there’s no other guy over there. So that’s what happened in the first half that made some mistakes. Also with the way Bian Robinson was running the football, play action was right there. So that was having the linebackers creep up and then when they bail out when they realize it’s a play action that they’re three or four yards behind and not in the spot to be in the throwing lanes. So that’s just great coaching by Zack Zack Robinson offensive coordinators and play calling. But then the Carolina Panthers ao games ao comes in in the second half and makes some adjustments. What is adjustments? Cory Thornton comes in number 31. He’s l he has length undrafted guy. He’s he’s comes in and becomes very active, good with his hands, willing to risk a PI, doing the things that’s necessary. They have Smith uh Smith way playing the safety position, his true his true position, and kind of looking over and they were able to change up iname alterations to help them succeed and it threw the Carolina Panthers off. Now, one of the key things though that they’re and why I’m talking about the playoffs is to be a force in the playoffs, you got to get pressure on the quarterback and you got to get sacks. This team didn’t have any sacks in this game. Yeah. And that’s where that’s going to get you in trouble. You can’t allow your you can’t allow the opposing quarterback to sit back and pick apart your defense, especially if you’re running primarily zone defense. I travel a lot. I’m always on the road whether I’m scouting. I was just in Berlin. But here’s the thing about why I feel so comfortable when I’m away from my home. Simply Safe. 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What do you think or what are you expecting and what is realistic for the Carolina Panthers on how they can approach this game and then also the outcome of this game? Yeah, Steve, I think offensively you have the opportunity. I don’t know if you’re gonna replicate 448 yards, right? But you Hey, if you can if you can do it, hey, Bryce, go light it up. Um, but if but you do have an opportunity against a group that has had an issue getting after the passer. I think Robert Sol did an outstanding job with the young players that have had to step in due to the multiple injuries they’ve had. No, Fred Warner is like one of the biggest gamechanging type of it is crazy. He is unbelievable. He I think that’s one of the I mean I would put him and the loss of Rashawn Slater and Joe Walt as the two tackles in in with the with the Chargers as like the two biggest more or less injury losses to a whole unit that just can’t function that just that just impacts your whole performance of your of your side of the football. Yes. You just can’t do what you do. So, I do think with those injuries, like you have an opportunity to try to show that balance that we’re we’re trying to see the the Panthers get towards and and if you flip it around, I do think you got your hands full with an offense where Brock Party’s back. KD’s back to who he is. We’ve seen CMC have an outstanding season. Ricky Pieraw slow go in his first game back, but you saw the the explosiveness and the speed was still there. He had moments where he was still open deep and party’s just coming back too. So, you have your hands full, I think, defensively, but offensively, you can build off of what you did against the San Francisco 49ers defense. And you still not back. I don’t even know when that’s going to happen, Steve. Like, his window hasn’t opened yet. It’s a massive injury. So, what I want to see, and I want you to kind of, you know, take this to another level. We’ve seen T-Mac be arguably he’s like in the top five of like the focal point of a passing offense. He’s in a focal He’s top five focal point of the offense, leading all rookies. Yeah. Right. His percentage of their passing game is is out of this world. Insane. Yeah. So, how do you build I mean, that’s what I want to see. How would you build off of that? How do you take it to another level? So, I I I’ve made the statement. I’ll continue to make the statement, right? is you when you look when you look at guys coming out of college, there’s always there is a valid and there’s a question mark of trying to figure out how much of his game is going to translate to the NFL and how long is it going to take. Mhm. And it varies. the the Jamar Chase’s, the uh Justin Jeffersons who are drafted, they maybe look okay in training camp, and then they come out into the regular season and they’re catching 150 passes and just going, you know, on pace to be one of the fastest, youngest receivers to get. T-Mac is catching the football exceptional. And here is the burden that every true number one for each team has to have. Every wide receiver group has a true number one. It does. Now, it may be by committee, but statistically every team has a true number one. Okay. Okay. Really makes a guy stand out as a true number one is the burden that he has to carry when running his routes. We know he’s going to run a deep end and you saw it in the play that that that we’re running right now. It’s a deep end. He catches it. Boom. Gets going and tries to tries to scamper up the sideline for a big for a big touchdown run. Get get some yak. Does a great job. Mhm. But then in that same route, you’re going to run. You have to run and have to have that burden of running that deep end but knowing that you are not getting the football. Because now when he ran that deep end, there’s probably an underneath route coming that can pull that linebacker or pull the defender out of the way so the quarterback can have a open lane to throw the football. Now all of a sudden you going to run the same play with the same in the same formation with the same motion or shift, but now you are no longer a viable point of the offense. you are only running that play because you need to get other guys open. And a lot of times as a true number one, I loved my receivers Brandon Lefale. Ricky Ricky Pro. Yeah. Um Davis David Gettis, right? Ted Gin. These were guys who they had assignments and they had to run their route as if they were getting the ball and there were times they weren’t getting the football at all. Mhm. And then there were times where I had to run routes for them and I would say, “Yo, I got you, bro.” Where there’s times where we would be in condensed formation. we were in like a a a kis formation or or a three by one where I’m at the point and lefell’s right here or it was Kamar Aken or Tory Smith where I’m at the point he’s right there and man there were times where I would have the burst go run the deep end and Lefel or the guy off the ball he he had a hesitation and then he run but I had to outside release because that gets in that you know what they call ships in the night that would confuse use the defender or get in this pathway to open it up. Well, there was times where I we they were lined up and say they had like a a in would come out to or linebacker come out to to press me, we would have communication switch meaning Lfell is now running my play and I am running his route. But I’m not running his route to get his pass. I’m running his route because I re riff. I can read. Reading is fundamental. That I understand the the philosophy of the offense and understand, bro, I can’t get the football and I may turn this into a bad play if I try to run this route and the quarterback throws it. So now I have to now because I’m I’m the elder statesman. I’m the true number one. I’m going switch switch. And Lfell knows, oh, all right, let me get that thing then, Smitty. And that’s what happens. But then there’s also responsibilities where we’re playing in Tampa Bay one time. Tampa Bay Buccaneers. I ain’t caught it pass yet. I’m hot as fish grease. You know how when you uh you know how when you start to have grease uh go and you to test it out, they tell you put a little water, sprinkle, splash, it’s going to pop at you. Splash a little water in there. It starts sizzling. Man was hot as fish grease. And we had a route where I was supposed to run a go and Lefel was running the end. Man, I went and I went awall. I ran a deep end and Cam threw me the football. Lefel said that wasn’t a route. I said it was my route. Right. But my point in saying all this is I’m just I’m not saying it to brag. I’m actually saying it to reveal and and and pull back and allow you in the locker room to see some of the things that go on. And T-Mac has a lot of the volume, but he is now going to especially against the San Francisco 49ers where uh where Robert Solace knows that he needs to neutralize the top tier wide receiver that they have in T-Mac in this offense. Mhm. Well, now that’s where Jimmy Horn comes in where you could utilize his speed and put pressure on the defense. And then you had Coker who’s more pos of possession, but he has hell of a routes. So, he’s going. Then you got Rico. He’s out in the out in the flat. You see they’re running screens. So, it’s so much going on. Then Xavier Legette getting out on the out on the perimeter running the deep pass. I love that his he gets the opportunity to catch a touchdown pass, run a deep pass, and then um uh Bryce throws it because that’s something that has been missed in this offense and we saw it against the New Orleans Saints. When you don’t push the ball downfield, you start to shrink the field, which also means you shrink your playbook.

The Carolina Panthers have quietly played their way into the thick of the playoff race!

Panthers legend Steve Smith Sr. and Insider James Palmer dive into the team that’s suddenly a major factor in the NFC South.

Inside the Episode:

*Tetairoa McMillan Breakdown:* Steve does a deep dive on rookie wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan. He details the impressive traits he’s seen from T-Mac’s game so far—including the maturity and nuance—and lays out what the young receiver needs to do to continue impressing a Hall-of-Fame mind.

*Bryce Young’s Potent Attack:* Steve and James analyze how quarterback Bryce Young has silenced the critics this season, leading the offense to become a surprisingly potent attack. We look at the growth that has fueled Young’s immense development.

*Playoff Hopes Are REAL:* James breaks down the current NFC playoff picture and gives the Panthers’ current odds of securing a postseason berth after their impressive mid-season run and upcoming schedule

*Coach Canales’ Blueprint:* Steve provides his exclusive, insider take on Head Coach Dave Canales and what has made him such a great coach from a perspective inside the building. We discuss the culture and offensive philosophy that has fueled this Panthers turnaround.

Can the Panthers shock the NFL world and secure a spot in the January postseason?

0:00 Dave Canales
8:00 Bryce Young
19:00 T-Mac

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