Dave Canales will be playing a postseason game for the first time as head coach on Saturday, and he will have a special guest watching his squad play.
On Thursday, the Carolina Panthers announced that Cam Newton would beat the “Keep Pounding” drum on Saturday against the Los Angeles Rams. It marks the 2015 MVP’s return to Bank of America Stadium, over four years after he played his last game with them.
Asked about the development on Thursday, Canales said:
“For me, it’s just that we can use all the help we can get. Talk about bringing juice, that momentum he can give. I think about Cam, I think of aura. The biggest big person, but it’s not just about his height, but also his personality.”
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Cornerback Jaycee Horn had also reacted to the then-planned appearance on Wednesday:
“It’ll be electric. That’ll be something everybody will want to see. It’ll mean a lot to this organization, a lot to this city.”
Dave Canales gives Panthers stern message ahead of playoff return
It has been eight years since the Panthers last appeared in the playoffs, and ten years since they hosted a postseason game. And Dave Canales has some words of wisdom for them.
In the same media availability, he said:
“It is special, and it’s important that we recognize that, we lean into it and we feed off that energy. At the same time, we’ve got to keep our head about us and execute on the most fundamental parts of it. Because if you get too excited and caught up in the moment, you can sacrifice technique, and sometimes you can go too far and that’s not what I want either.”
One positive development for the team is the return of guard Robert Hunt, who was activated from injured reserve on Friday after having not played since Week 2 because of a torn biceps. Before that, Canales had been “very optimistic” about his chances of playing, let alone starting:
“Status is questionable, but he had a great day. He had another fantastic day. He was out there with his guys. … We’re not gonna put him out there part-time. And this is it. This is the only game we have.”
Kickoff for the Panthers-Rams game is at 4:35 pm ET on Fox.