Story byMichael David SmithFri, January 9, 2026 at 5:42 PM UTC·1 min readPanthers head coach Dave Canales knows Saturday's playoff game against the Rams isn't just another game. But he also doesn't want his players to think of it as too big a game. Canales said he thinks players who haven't played in the playoffs before have benefited this week from the veteran players who have been to the playoffs talking about simultaneously recognizing it's a big game and not going overboard. AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisement"It is special, and it's important that we recognize that, we lean into it and we feed off that energy," Canales said. "At the same time, we've got to keep our head about us and execute on the most fundamental parts of it.
