Was the Panthers’ offense even worth saving? It doesn’t matter. Andy Dalton and Dave Canales have already done the deed. Carolina entered Week 3 averaging 3.5 yards per play, trailing everyone but the under-construction Chicago Bears. Sunday? They managed 6.2, good for fifth most on the week. These are all the same players … except for one.
Never mind what this says about Bryce Young, which is nothing good. (More than even Young’s own abysmal play, Dalton’s instant turnaround best highlights how Bryce is looking like Josh Rosen 2.0.) It shows we weren’t crazy in the summer when we looked at this roster and said “man, if Canales can help Young even a little bit, there might be some fantasy points here.”
We must always guard against the “cult of the play-caller.” Everyone has their limits. At some point, the talent is what matters. Case in point: Dave Canales with Bryce Young. But we know some are better than others (hello Matt LaFleur with Malik Willis), and Sunday, there it was. Diontae Johnson was playing in his 81st career NFL contest, and first under Canales with an actual quarterback. The result? A personal-best 122 yards receiving. For Chuba Hubbard, it was game No. 52. The stats? A career-high 169 yards from scrimmage…