Andy Dalton took a knee at the end of the second quarter at Northwest Stadium on Sunday. He might as well have waved a white flag, as the Panthers took a 27-point hole to halftime against the Washington Commanders on the road.
This 40-7 blowout loss — with standout rookie QB Jayden Daniels limited to just one series due to injury — was the latest and most glaring embarrassment of the Dave Canales era. Nothing worked, and for most of the afternoon, it felt like the Panthers’ ability to function in any facet went on vacation.
Yes, the defense was drained by a ton of major injuries. Sure, the offense is still trying to figure itself out — even with a 36-year-old QB under center. And, in a way, Canales is still learning on the job in his first year as head coach…