The Tampa Bay Buccaneers lost their offensive coordinator over the offseason, as Dave Canales was hired as the newest head coach of the Carolina Panthers. Canales had a lot of success as the Bucs' offensive coordinator in 2023, helping mold Baker Mayfield into a legitimate starting quarterback.
Canales likely knew what he was getting into when he agreed to become the Panthers head coach but even then, he couldn't have thought it'd be as bad as it was in Week 1. The Panthers got absolutely bludgeoned by the New Orleans Saints with the Saints dropping 47 points on them while Carolina scored a measly 10 points.
Bryce Young was dreadful in the first game of his sophomore season, completing just 13-of-30 passes for 161 yards and two interceptions while getting sacked twice. Canales was humbled following the game, noting that the mood in the locker room was "somber".
Dave Canales on the mood in the locker room: “It’s somber.”
— Joe Person (@josephperson) September 8, 2024
What exactly was Canales expecting here? His team just got their butts handed to them against a division rival, who frankly, wasn't supposed to be any good either. Of course the mood in the locker room is going to be somber.
Dave Canales had his 'Welcome to the NFL' moment in Week 1
The Panthers were the worst team in the NFL during the 2023 season and didn't even get rewarded for it. They had traded their first-round pick in last year's draft the year prior when they moved up to the number one spot to take Young in 2023. As we're seeing, Young is not good.
Canales was brought into Carolina to work the magic he worked on Mayfield on Young and while it's only been one game, that's looking to be easier said than done at this point. Canales gets credited with helping turn Mayfield's career around so we'll see if he can do the same for Young.
Bucs fans appreciate what Canales did for them while he was helping the offense thrive but now that he's working for the enemy, it's okay to laugh at him if he doesn't succeed.