NFL analyst makes bold declaration on Dave Canales

If you're looking at Coach of the Year candidates, you'll have to dig pretty deep to find Dave Canales. He's not really even on the radar for what is sure to be Ben Johnson or Mike Vrabel's award.

But Sports Illustrated's Connor Orr would give the nod to the Panthers coach for his impressive work this season.

"The Panthers have logged wins over both the Packers (Week 9) and now the Rams. And while there are weeks when this team can revert into the previously established narrative version of itself—a blowout loss to the Bills and a 10-point loss to the Saints come to mind—I think it’s worth making the case that what Canales and his staff are doing is perhaps the most impressive job in the league," Orr said.

For some coaches, their turnarounds have been thanks to changes in coordinator. Mike Macdonald now has Klint Kubiak helming his offense. Shane Steichen got Lou Anarumo to turn the defense around.

But with largely the same exact coaching staff, Canales has willed this team to seven wins after getting seven the last two seasons combined.

Orr said, "I see an extraordinarily hard-capped roster with almost all of its 'star' power on the defensive side of the ball grinding out wins on the shoulders of a journeyman running back."

This is different, Orr argues, than the Colts relying on an MVP caliber running back or the Patriots getting an MVP season from Drake Maye or the Bears overhauling their entire offense in the offseason.

After Bryce Young threw "picture-perfect" footballs in the rain on third and fourth down on Sunday, Orr believes "a coach talented enough to orchestrate it" is deserving of the award.