Dave Canales on Week 6 matchup against the Dallas Cowboys | Carolina Panthers

Dave Canales on Week 6 matchup against the Dallas Cowboys | Carolina Panthers

All right. Uh guys are ready. Uh great challenge this week. Uh number one offense in the NFL. Uh defense that is coming together. Um with some names that we know and a great coaching staff. We’re preparing. Um there was great focus out there, engagement today at practice. Uh trying to build off and improve on the things that we looked at, you know, in the film session and uh just making sure that we’re continuing to progress, continuing to show improvement in those areas. Uh pushing each other. They’re taking to it the right way. So, it’s an exciting day. Dave, can you talk about with the run defense being so impressive last week, the confidence that you and how you’re carrying that over into this week and such as um we’ve consistently been winning on first and second down with the run game. We’ve given up a couple of explosives, but this is a team that just continues to improve, to work together, uh to fit the runs the right way and rally to the ball and tackle. Um we expect them to do that again this week. uh take on the challenge, talk to each other, communicate, and just keep building, keep building together. And it really happens in practice. It’s the communication that I see out there. I see them uh talking about different sets, talking about uh different tips and tells um that they’re working on and and making sure they’re playing their leverages right and uh doing their assignment so that we can play team football. Do you think Juba’s going to miss another week or where do you think we’re going to put him out there every day um just little by little in RTP and just see where he’s at and uh we’ll make that decision as we go. Um he’s chomping at the bit as you can imagine. Um especially after last week, you know, he’s he’s fired it to get back out there. We have to do the right thing for Chuba, the right thing for the Panthers. So, um we’ll take it day by day and and see where he’s at. Wanted to see Rico get recognized with that award for what he did. Yeah. Uh NFC offensive player of the week. Phenomenal. Uh I’m really proud of the group. I’m I’m proud of the offensive line. He’d be up here telling you the offensive line, you know, and the tight ends and the receivers blocking down the field. Uh it takes all 11. Bryce getting us to the right runs depending on the looks. You know, it’s a it’s a whole team effort and Rico went out there and did his part. Played violently like we expected him to. And uh I’m just I’m excited for for Rico and and uh just all the hard work that goes into it, the full group, you know, to put that kind of performance that’s earned. You work on those things. Um and to make it come alive, it takes a group effort. What kind of balance is that when you’ve got a guy that just becomes the NFC offensive player of the week and then if Cuba comes back, he could be the back? Man, what is there a balance you have to go by as a coach when you’re handling those situations? It’s it’s a great feeling for me. I look down at the call sheet, I don’t have to worry about who’s in there, you know, and Trevor has done a great job as well when he’s got his opportunities to run the ball. Um, but to know that we have two solid backs that we love and um, it just allows us to just continue to play our brand of football and uh, know that, you know, we get a fresh set of legs in there that can execute. Um, so it’s a great feeling for me. You know, we’ll figure out how to use both guys when when that time comes. Dave, can you express to you how much playing against his old team and the Cowboys means to him? And does that I don’t know does that factor into any of the calculus this week? That’s not a part of our language here. We take every opponent seriously. Um we look at all of them as championship opportunities to improve our football to attack it and uh this is going to be you know I know that there’s going to be he’s human. I know there’s going to be emotions and all that but we have to set those things aside and uh I don’t know if there’s any special emotions for him last week. He played hard and I expect him to play the same way. Dave, Jaylen Koker was wearing less while we were out there, a scout team uniform. What did you think of his performance today? How did he help you guys um in practice? He looked good. Uh he ran crisp routes. He looks fast. He looks like Jaylen. And uh we want to make sure that he can put the volume of this full weekend before we make a decision on whether to bring him up this week or not, you know. So, um, we’re trying to get extra reps here and there, some scout team reps and, um, some full speed routes, you know, and ramp up his volume tomorrow to see where he’s at, you know, to see if he can handle it, so we can trust that he’s ready to go for a full game. Um, when you open a player’s window, uh, it’s easy to make decisions to try to get them back out there, especially when there’s a guy like Jaylen, who we relied on to make plays for us uh, last year. But at the same time, we have to open the window and be realistic about what he can handle. Let him show us what he’s ready to handle. So, we’ll take it dayto-day here and make a decision. Dave, you’d been looking for uh backs to to break more tackles as you mentioned. Were there uh or was there a particular play or two from Sunday with Rico that you kind of held up as an example for the rest of the guys? Yeah, there were several, you know, where a defensive lineman is coming off of his block and he’s got a free arm and Rico runs through the arm. you know, it’s the second level, safeties and corners showing up on the second level in the run game and he’s got his pad level down and he’s covering the ball up, which is first and foremost for us. But those are just great examples of what it takes. And often times when you run violently like that early on in the game, then the DB start to they really have to, you know, bring it. They really have to close in on you. That’s where those extra yards kind of come in. You can set up runs and make moves to the left or right, but it all starts with running downhill, pressing the feet of the lineman, and running violently. And then that sets up the rest of it. You talked about the Cowboys being number one in the league offensively. What do you see in that? Uh great balance. Uh a group of skilled players that’s really talented, experienced guys that been with Dak for a while. Um and then of course adding George Pickkins into the into the mix with speed and size and then um just and I know I know Brian Shottimer personally and I know that he he’s going to try to find a way to run the ball some way somehow. And so you just see the balance of their personnels, their formations. They can run or pass out of all those things and that really is what makes them a good offense. And of course, I think Dak is playing at a really high level, finding his completions, finding his playmakers out there. Um, and they’re doing a good job just mixing personnels and utilizing their roster. Dave, with your defense, are there particular areas where maybe not surprised, but most impressed with how much progress they’ve made. It’s a collective group working together. That’s what I see. I’ve seen that now for three weeks in practice happen where they’re talking before the snap. They’re getting set, their eyes are right, and they’re making adjustments together. And that’s what I’ve seen uh collectively. And I’m proud of the young guys, Nick Scorton, who made some awesome plays. Princely had a couple of plays in there as well. Um guys that I didn’t get to mention, I didn’t mention after the game. We were talking about, you know, some of the younger players, but these are guys that are growing up. These are guys that are figuring it out and they feel the weight of accountability from their teammates to do their job well and uh they’re taking to the challenge and continuing to improve. about Dallas’s defense improving a little bit. What do you see? Because right now they have I think the the worst defense yardwise in the league. Yeah, I to me it looks like communication. I look at their roster and I look at the the team that they’ve assembled and they have depth. They have playmakers out there. They have two corners who will certainly catch it if you throw it to them. Uh they’re dynamic players. They have some some really experienced rushers on the edge and some younger rushers that they’re developing. And so, you know, Kenny Clark on the inside as well. Um, and I look at this group and I just see those guys figuring out how to play together in a scheme. And really that’s what it amounts to me. And uh, I know Matt Eberloose as well and I know he’s an excellent coach. Andre Curtis, another friend of mine there on the defensive staff. They’ll get these guys to play really good defense in short order. Um, but I don’t see it I don’t see them lacking anything. What I see is a group that’s as they come together and play together, I know that they’re going to continue to ascend. You had a guy that came back from injury who’s been around for a little bit in LeBrian Ray. uh made some stops in the first half. When you see a guy come off IR while you’re obviously moderating Jaylen and he responds the way he does, does that give you a confidence in the way that you guys are handling guys from the medical staff standpoint, but also the coaching revup standpoint? Yeah, I can’t say enough good things about Danny Kellington and the job the the training staff is doing. Josh Hinx as well with the strength staff and preparing our guys to be ready for football when they come back from these things. Um, our return to play process has been excellent and I’m I’m really excited. Again, we have to treat each guy as an individual case with different uh types of injuries and and um exposure to it or recurring things. You know, we have to take all those things into consideration. And we have all the analytics, we have all the uh expertise, the hands-on expertise, and now they pass them off to the coaches for us to put them to the test from a football standpoint so we can make educated decisions. But I feel very confident about our group um getting our guys back and playing at a high level when they do. You were a few times on Sunday that Nick, Princeley, DJ, and Pat were all out there together. What do you like about that personnel grouping just from an offensive point of view? How how would you defend that? Well, it’s a dynamic group and they’re guys that are versatile and Pat Jones can go play inside. Nick Scorton can play inside some to be able to move those pieces around to get those fast guys out on the field. They’ve been working really hard on their their stunts, their rush games. um all those different things, their technique and their rushes as well. And it’s all paying off. I see them working with, you know, uh AC Carter. I see them working with Todd Wash, using their hands, using their leverage and learning from the veteran players. So, they’re feeding off each other. And that’s the type of energy that we need and that’s the group that needs to continue to grow um to make an impact in the pass rush game. A couple more talked about this last week, but continue to be a problem defending the tight end. What um what what are you seeing that has to change defensively? uh to to to you know shut down the opposing tight ends. Yeah, there’s a couple communication issues that we have to work through and then let’s give let’s give credit where credit is due. Trey McBride is a phenomenal player. Darren Waller is a phenomenal player. Um those guys are going to make their plays. Can we minimize it by playing our leverage as well? Being aware of where they’re at in formation and making sure we we eliminate those big explosive plays. Are are they still going to produce? Absolutely. They’re going to find their plays. Um but let’s minimize the big plays. And I think that’s the biggest thing is just making sure that they’re all tied in together in their coverages. I know you want to have a strong attack among two balanced running backs, but is there something you said the benefits of primarily giving the ball to one back and letting them do what Rico did this past weekend? Could be uh some group some teams have two backs that they use with effectiveness. Some some teams have a lead back that they ask to carry the load. We’ll look at all of it. We’ll make those decisions when we get Chuba back. First backto back home games that you’re having zero. What kind of benefit does that provide for you and your team to just have the stability of being in Charlotte for more of an extended time getting ready for these games? Um, I mean, speaking personally, it’s just spending time with my family, spending time with my wife and my kids um throughout the weekend where you normally get on a plane uh sometime on Saturday afternoon and I get to go see soccer and uh you know those types of things. It just it puts you in a good state of mind. Um, I will say the flip side, I think that on the road, I in my experience when I’m on the road, I have a window on the plane to watch a little bit more film, to look at my call sheet one more time, go up and down the halls talking the aisles talking to players, talking to coaches, and so there’s a connectedness that happens to a team playing on the road. We got to be able to make sure that shows up on game day. We got to make sure we we’re able to do that. But we certainly love being here at home playing in Bank of America Stadium where we’re familiar with we do everything here. we have our meetings and our practices and and we love it here. Um and so we look forward to that, you know, just having the backto-back weeks where we can kind of um you know, spend time with our families and and really um and really recover that way uh going into this long season. Yep. Thank you. [Music] [Music]

Canales talked about the offensive line improvements and offered updates on Jalen Coker and Chuba Hubbard.

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