The Carolina Panthers just delivered the kind of win that can shift the tone of an entire season. Their upset victory over the Los Angeles Rams wasn’t just surprising-it was a statement.
For a team that’s spent too many recent Decembers looking ahead to draft boards instead of playoff possibilities, this one felt different. This one felt earned.
Let’s start with the two names at the heart of this performance: head coach Dave Canales and rookie quarterback Bryce Young. Both have been under the microscope all season, and for good reason.
Canales, in his first year at the helm, has been tasked with turning around a franchise in transition. Young, the No. 1 overall pick, has been navigating the steep learning curve that comes with leading an NFL offense as a rookie.
On Sunday, both of them showed signs that they’re starting to find their footing.
Young played with poise and confidence that we hadn’t consistently seen earlier in the year. He wasn’t just managing the game-he was commanding it.
His reads were sharper, his timing crisper, and even under pressure, he looked like a quarterback who belonged. That’s not to say he was perfect-far from it-but he looked like a player growing into the role, not shrinking from it.
Canales, meanwhile, deserves a ton of credit for how he prepared this team. Despite a roster that’s been banged up and a backfield that featured Chuba Hubbard stepping in over Rico Dowdle, the Panthers found ways to move the ball and control the tempo.
The run game didn’t just survive-it thrived. And that’s a testament to Canales’ ability to scheme effectively and adjust on the fly.
Defensively, the Panthers were resilient. Injuries have taken a toll on that side of the ball all season, but on Sunday, the unit stepped up in a big way.
They kept the Rams’ offense off balance, made timely stops, and played with a level of physicality that set the tone from the opening whistle. It wasn’t flashy, but it was exactly what they needed.
Now, let’s be real: one win doesn’t rewrite a season. But it can change a narrative.
Just a week ago, confidence in Bryce Young was at a low point among Panthers fans. There were questions-fair ones-about his development, his decision-making, and whether he was the right guy to lead this franchise forward.
Sunday didn’t answer all of those questions, but it did offer something that’s been in short supply: hope.
Same goes for Canales. It’s easy to question a first-year head coach when the losses pile up.
But it’s in games like this-where preparation meets execution, and where a team punches above its weight-that you start to see what a coach is really made of. Canales had his team ready.
They played hard, they played smart, and they played like they believed they could win.
So, did this game change your opinion of either of them? Maybe.
Maybe not. But what it did do was give us a glimpse of what this team could look like when things start to click.
And in a season that’s had more downs than ups, that glimpse matters.
The next two weeks will be telling. Was this a one-off, or the start of something more? Either way, the Panthers are playing meaningful football in December-and that, in itself, is progress.