After a week where positivity and optimism reigned supreme, the Carolina Panthers came crashing back down to earth with a humiliating loss against the New England Patriots. And for head coach Dave Canales, the excuses are becoming tiresome.
This was as disjointed and uninspiring a performance as fans have seen for some time. There was no fight in the Panthers. They were outfought, outcoached, and seemed to quit long before the clock ran down in the fourth quarter. When it seemed like momentum was starting to build, it was quickly eviscerated.
Canales was coaching scared.