Building Identity Under the Lights
In the view of some NFL franchises, having just one prime-time game would be considered a slight. For Dave Canales and his Carolina Panthers, however, their Week 12 Monday night clash against the San Francisco 49ers is an opportunity to continue shaping the franchise into what they aspire to become.
“I just love the opportunities to be able to play those types of games,” Canales said Thursday, via the team website’s Kassidy Hill. “There’s a couple of extra cameras, and you get to play under the lights, playing against a great opponent, and those are the types of games that we need to become who we are.”
A Symbolic Return to Monday Night Football
The Panthers’ Monday Night Football matchup against the 49ers on November 24 will mark the club’s first prime-time appearance since Week 10 in 2023, when they faced the Chicago Bears on Thursday Night Football. It will also serve as the Panthers’ first MNF appearance since Week 2 in 2023, against the New Orleans Saints.
Although it is the only prime-time slot currently scheduled for the 2025 Panthers, the game is emblematic of the progress being made within the organization, with hopes that more high-profile games will follow.
Overcoming a Challenging Past
The Panthers lost both of their 2023 prime-time matchups as part of a disastrous 2-15 season. That campaign, quarterback Bryce Young’s first with the team after being selected No. 1 overall in the 2023 draft, resulted in the midseason firing of Frank Reich. Following the same pattern as Matt Rhule the previous year.
Now, with Canales entering his second year after a 5-12 showing in his first season, the team is looking to build on the momentum they found late in 2024. Young, who had been benched due to ongoing struggles from his rookie campaign, returned to the field and showed flashes of the talent that had made him a standout at Alabama.
The Panthers won two of their final three games, including an overtime victory in the season finale against the Atlanta Falcons. If nothing else, Young, Canales, and the Panthers closed the 2024 season trending in a positive direction.
A High-Stakes Test Against a Familiar Face
Looking ahead to Week 12, the game presents a significant challenge that Canales views as necessary for the team’s growth. Adding to the storyline, 49ers running back Christian McCaffrey will face his former team for the first time since he was traded by the Panthers.
“The challenge is to go on the road, go across the country, and you know, really feel the high-stakes games as we build this and we compete to win the division,” Canales said.
The Panthers are back on the prime-time schedule, and Canales is hopeful that this is a sign of bigger games and brighter nights ahead.
