First time head coaches and unit competitions abound

Both the Panthers and the Patriots boast new—and first-time—head coaches, in Canales and Jerod Mayo. These are two guys who have been around the sport for decades and know what goes into making a team. But they’re also being handed a new set of responsibilities for the first time ever.

“Calling the plays, handling the exchanges with the officials; ‘Do we decline this penalty? Do we not?’ I’m excited about all those things,” Canales listed earlier this week.

“These are new things that I’ve observed, but it’s going to be really cool to be right at the center of making those calls.”

The Panthers have two former head coaches on staff, Jim Caldwell and Dom Capers, that can lend a hand and expertise to Canales. But as both Canales and Mayo navigate the extra work that comes with being a head coach, procedural hiccups could be expected. Don’t forget, coaches need reps too.