For the third time in as a few years, the Cowboys are happening the highway to face the Panthers. It’s the type of recurring matchup normally reserved only for division rivals, however this has grow to be an fascinating form of rivalry lately. Not a lot of 1, although, as Dallas gained each video games by a mixed 63-24 rating.
Nonetheless, there’s a brand new layer to this pseudo-rivalry: the top coaches. In Dallas, Brian Schottenheimer is a first-year head coach who calls the performs. In Carolina, it’s Dave Canales, in his second as each head man and play-caller.
Each have cited Pete Carroll as a serious affect. Schottenheimer solely spent three years with Carroll, as his offensive coordinator from 2018 to 2020, but it surely helped form his strategy to being a head coach. In the meantime, Canales was on Carroll’s Seahawks workers for 13 seasons, overlapping with Schottenheimer’s tenure; the truth is, Canales was promoted to move sport coordinator in Schottenheimer’s closing season there.
Whenever you hearken to the 2 coaches communicate, it’s not onerous to select the similarities, both.
That’s permeated into the way in which they construct a locker room tradition, but in addition in the way in which they name an offense. Canales has usually spoken about crafting his offense across the quarterback, looking for to create layups for them within the passing sport and asking them to be a degree guard – a facilitator – slightly than chucking bombs each different play.
For each Schottenheimer and Canales, a lot of that may be completed by means of a dependable run sport. The Panthers have excelled of their floor sport to date, with Chuba Hubbard main the way in which. After all, Rico Dowdle took the reins this previous week with Hubbard injured and piled up over 200 yards in only one afternoon.
On the entire, Carolina is tenth in each complete speeding and yards per carry whereas rating ninth in EPA/rush. They’ve completed that with out being overly run-heavy both, as solely 10 groups (together with Dallas) are working the ball at a decrease fee. Briefly, they’re profitable at working the ball with out having to pound the rock. Sound acquainted?
The dependable run sport has helped open issues up within the move sport for Bryce Younger, the previous first-overall decide who catching hearth in direction of the tip of final 12 months. Younger hasn’t been spectacular this season, however he’s been respectable. To this point this 12 months, he’s finishing 60.9% of his passes for 951 yards with seven touchdowns and simply 4 picks.
A part of the rub for Younger has been adjusting to a brand new supporting forged. Veteran Adam Thielien is gone, and first-round rookie Tetairoa McMillan has taken a bit to construct chemistry along with his quarterback. Not for lack of attempting, although: McMillan has 43 targets, almost double the second-most focused participant on the workforce, however he’s solely caught 24 of them for 351 yards. McMillan additionally has but to attain this 12 months.
Outdoors of McMillan, it’s been a little bit of a committee at receiver consisting of slot service provider Hunter Renfrow and second-year gamers Xavier Legette and tight finish Ja’Tavion Sanders. Jalen Coker has but to play this season attributable to harm, although there’s rising optimism he’s will go this week.
All in all, although, the Panthers’ offense has been a little bit of a combined bag. Their run sport is actually environment friendly, however the move sport is twenty sixth in EPA/dropback. The offense as a complete is twenty first in EPA/play however thirteenth in success fee; they’ve additionally scored three or extra touchdowns in three video games however been held below 14 within the two different video games. Their good video games have been actually good, and their dangerous video games have been actually dangerous.
That makes it onerous to determine this unit’s actual expertise proper now, however Canales is obvious in his strategy. He needs to make issues simple for Younger and keep away from leaning an excessive amount of on anyone participant or aspect of the sport. With so many younger items proper now, that’s been simpler stated than carried out, however this Panthers offense has confirmed one factor in 2025: they’re able to going off on any given Sunday.
