Panthers coach Dave Canales had no choice but to go with QB Bryce Young vs. Chiefs
The Carolina Panthers had only one way to go in Week 12. And on Monday, head coach Dave Canales took the lone available route as his developing squad returns from the bye week on a two-game winning streak — the first for the franchise since Dec. 2022.
Second-year QB Bryce Young will be under center on Sunday at Bank of America Stadium as the Panthers host the Kansas City Chiefs. While Canales took the full bye week to make the announcement public, and still acknowledged that the QB spot would be evaluated weekly, the head coach ultimately went with the young signal-caller over the veteran journeyman in Andy Dalton.
Again, Canales was on a one-way road that led to a 5-foot-10, 204-pound quarterback, who has guided the offense during the most successful string of games over the past two years. Had he gone back to Dalton — who only lost his starting job because of a minor hand injury sustained in an equally minor car accident — the goodwill of the past three weeks would have largely been spoiled.
Sure, there’s an argument to be made — and Canales made it for several weeks amid a long losing streak — that Dalton gives the Panthers the best chance to win. But the reality is that this team is 3-7, and Young has won more games — in the same sample size of five matchups — than Dalton has this season.
During Young’s past three games, the Panthers have gone 2-1 and he’s thrown for 521 yards, four touchdowns and three interceptions. Those numbers are substantially better than the putrid showings he had in the first two games of the season, which ultimately led to his benching in Week 3.
Dalton, who won his season debut in grand fashion in Week 3 against the Las Vegas Raiders, anchored a four-game losing streak before being sidelined due to the minor car crash in Week 8. During the four-game slump, he threw for 670 yards, four touchdowns and six interceptions.
Given those numbers, the Panthers were right — and really, obligated — to go with the hot hand in Young. Yes, the bar is low and Young’s right hand is more lukewarm than scorching hot, but going with the upside play, especially off two straight wins, was essential for locker-room vibes and on-field evaluation.
Dalton is probably more talented, but Young is an investment — whether he’s here next year or not — and evaluating him for a long-term outlook — whether on the trade market or in Charlotte — is the obvious answer to any QB conundrum.
The Chiefs are a freight train that is likely to run over whomever is lined up at QB this week. And while Dalton might give the Panthers a larger shot at big plays, Young’s evaluation process benefits from seeing how he performs against a top-tier team. The pressure is low as the underdog, but the potential rewards linger within the matchup if Young excels.
If Young can put forth a solid showing against a two-time Super Bowl squad and make a bit of magic happen, he will increase his value to not only the Panthers, but also potential bidders if the franchise decides to go into a different direction next offseason.
If the Chiefs predictably smack Young and the Panthers, nothing is really lost.
If the team had decided to go to Dalton, only to lose by a substantial margin, the trust between Young and Canales — and perhaps Canales and the rest of the locker room — could take a hit.
Ultimately, Young should be and is the starting QB against the Chiefs. And while the expectations aren’t high, the potential return could be huge if Young plays up to his draft pedigree.
Now that we’ve got the Kaye’s take out of the way, here are three mailbag questions from social media (including X, Bluesky and Threads):
Biggest surprise/disappointment at the midway point
Russell asks: At the halfway point, what has been your biggest surprise and disappointment for the team?
A two-parter is always fun.
The biggest surprise of this campaign is probably just how good the center position has been for the Panthers.
Austin Corbett, Brady Christensen and Cade Mays came into this season with 6,001 combined regular-season snaps and none of them were at center.
Despite all three of them getting a turn at starting center this season, the trio has combined to give up just one sack, three combined hits and nine combined pressures through 10 games, according to Pro Football Focus. That’s an incredible outcome, especially when you consider that Corbett was coming off two knee procedures, Christensen has played every OL position under the sun, and Mays was on the New York Giants’ practice squad roughly a month ago.
Mays held Dexter Lawrence, a top-five player at defensive tackle, without a sack in Munich — that’s objectively impressive.
Assistant offensive line coach Keli’i Kekuewa deserves a lot of credit, as he is the main teacher for the position. Assistant head coach/run game coordinator Harold Goodwin and offensive line coach Joe Gilbert also deserve kudos for their work with the overall offensive line. New guards, Damien Lewis and Robert Hunt also play into the success of the center turnstile trio as well.
The biggest disappointment is obviously the defense. Losing Brian Burns, Frankie Luvu and Yetur Gross-Matos has been difficult for the front seven, and Donte Jackson’s exit has brought a bit more drama in the secondary than expected.
But the front office gave defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero a bunch of familiar faces to work with this offseason. A’Shawn Robinson, Josey Jewell, Nick Scott and Jordan Fuller have all played for the DC in the past, and all four got off to pretty rough starts this season, despite being familiar with the defensive calls. Losing the unit’s best player, Derrick Brown, in Week 1 was tough, as was losing linebacker Shaq Thompson in Week 3, but the group struggled from the jump even with those two longtime Panthers in the fold.
Evero’s unit has turned things around over the past couple of weeks, allowing just 39 combined points during the team’s two-game winning streak before the bye. Hopefully, the Panthers will continue down this path of improvement. But Kansas City, a two-time Super Bowl champion, awaits on Sunday.
A different role for Adam Thielen?
Garrett asks: What role is Adam Thielen coming back to? The last time he played, Xavier Legette and Jalen Coker were a much smaller part of the offense.
Thielen still has the best pair of hands on the roster. And while Legette and Coker have grown in their roles, Jonathan Mingo is now in Dallas and Diontae Johnson is now in Baltimore.
Look for Thielen to succeed David Moore as one of the three top options at wide receiver. Thielen has the ability to play in the slot and at the Z position, similarly to Coker, so expect that duo to rotate in those positions. It’s time to focus Legette on the X position with regularity, though, I’d expect for him to get some slot looks, especially as Canales tries to establish him as an end-around option.
Thielen is dependable. He’s also a favorite target for Young, so I’d still expect him to get a healthy workload upon his return. If anything, his revival will come at the cost of Moore, who is still an important piece of the special teams puzzle.
Coker and Legette are still developing. It’d be wise to not put too much on their respective plates, especially with Thielen back in the lineup.
Checking Jaycee Horn’s coverage passport
Carter asks: I know the scheme is the scheme but is there any reason why Carolina doesn’t have Jaycee Horn shadow the other teams #1? Mike Jackson was on Giants WR Malik Nabers most of the time from my angle. He did well, but still curious to me.
For one, teams seem to be shying away from the whole “shadow” model. Finding a spot of comfort in coverage is important, and if you trust your secondary as a whole, putting each starting corner on their own side of the field makes sense.
Horn has done a nice job as a run defender, and I think getting him situated on one side helps in that regard. Horn also does a good job of taking away his assignment, which helps the defense, regardless of who that player is.
Also, in theory, having Horn follow an opposing No. 1 receiver could help opposing offenses find weaknesses and mismatches in coverage. Really, it’s just as much as about Evero’s trust in Jackson as it is about not inviting extra variables into the coverage outlook for the secondary.
It’s a fair question given Horn’s ability. But Evero strikes me as a “scheme over personnel” coordinator based on the evidence of the last two years.
