How the Seahawks thwarted a key Panthers player, according to coach Dave Canales
There’s no hiding from the fact that the Carolina Panthers’ passing offense wasn’t up to snuff in their 27-10 loss to the Seattle Seahawks on Sunday.
There’s no hiding why, either.
Head coach Dave Canales directly explained on Monday why his team — which with a win over the Seahawks Week 17 would’ve clinched a playoff berth — failed to generate any momentum as a passing offense Sunday. It has to do with one thing in particular, Canales said: springing Carolina’s No. 1 wide receiver open.
“Our focal point is TMac,” Canales told reporters Monday, speaking on his uber-talented rookie receiver Tetairoa McMillan. “We try to build formations and try to get him into spots to get him the ball. I didn’t do a good enough job of that last week. And we’ll make sure that that comes alive. And the rest of it kind of opens up from there.”
McMillan never got going, and thus, the Panthers’ offense never prospered. McMillan finished Sunday with a career-low five reception yards on only one catch and four targets. His lack of production coincided with a larger anemic offensive output from the Panthers in general: Quarterback Bryce Young finished with a passing yardage total of 54 yards — a career-low among all games he’s started. The Panthers only generated 139 yards of offense and only had two plays that netted over 10 yards (both were rushes).
It’s true the leading contender for Offensive Rookie of the Year was on the injury report with an illness on Sunday, and that could’ve slowed him down. Sunday’s output, after all, does not align much with the season McMillan has had to date. His stat-line: 66 catches on 116 targets for 929 yards and seven touchdowns. (McMillan is 79 yards from Kelvin Benjamin’s franchise rookie receiving yards record; Benjamin earned 1,008 yards in 2014.)
But as Canales made clear on Monday, the offense’s inability to get McMillan the ball rested on the second-year head coach’s shoulders.
“Just trying to get him more access,” Canales said. “We moved him around in formation some. They matched it pretty well. They sent a safety over there a couple of times. And then I thought they challenged him up front with their corners. And he had a mixed level of success. Sometimes, he’d create a surface and the ball might be going somewhere else. But just making sure we’re doing the right things, the routes that he loves, that he can execute but also fit into the scheme of what we’re doing.”
Did Seahawks man-to-man defense slow down McMillan?
The Seahawks played more man-to-man defense Sunday than they had in other games this season, Canales said Sunday. Could that factor into McMillan’s slow day? One of the gripes with McMillan’s profile as a draft prospect was that he rarely flashed in press coverage — something the Seahawks employed a lot Sunday.
Canales disagreed with that insinuation Monday.
“He’s absolutely improved from the first game on,” Canales said of McMillan and press coverage. “It’s something that I think — whether you’re playing Mike Evans, whether you’re playing TMac, whatever big receiver out there — you have to challenge those guys. They’re larger men. There’s a lot more surface. You gotta get your hands on them because they create separation and can make it a long day. So that’s a good way to challenge a lot of big receivers.
“And that’s not just talking about TMac. He’s done a great job of continuing to evolve his game and adjust to different types of coverages, not just the one-on-one coverages, but also coverages with help. ... I’m really proud of the way he’s progressed this season.”
That said, will this impact how the Bucs’ defense will be designed on Saturday, as the Panthers travel to Tampa Bay for their Week 18, winner-takes-the-NFC-South-crown game?
According to Canales, that’s not the Bucs’ style. Head coach Todd Bowles — who according to a mid-year report from Pro Football Focus has played man and zone coverages at league-average rates this season — will likely stick to his defense’s identity.
“There are elements of what the Seahawks did that the Bucs already have,” Canales said. “I just know that coach (Todd) Bowles, the way that he’s training his defense, the way that he tries to attack and do different things, for me, and just watching film of the Bucs, I’m sure they’re going to lean on the core of what they do. And they’re going to ask their guys to execute. And that’s really what it comes down to.”
Quick hits
—The Carolina Panthers did not “scoreboard watch” on Sunday. And that was by design. Still, disappointment reigned after the Panthers learned that the Dolphins defeated the Bucs and thus they were a win away from claiming the NFC South crown and a spot in the playoffs. When asked how much energy will go into refocusing the team now, Canales offered a mini pump-up speech: “It’s a true championship moment. Shirts and hats games are what you work so hard for all year. It’s right in front of us on prime time football in Tampa. It’s going to be fantastic. ... This is the last shot we have.”
—Wide receiver David Moore and offensive lineman Robert Hunt are expected to practice this week, Canales said, but both remain on the injured reserve. Canales said decisions on those players’ statuses — if they’ll be activated to the 53-man roster — will be made later in the week.
This story was originally published December 29, 2025 at 3:03 PM.
