North Charlotte Today

Three Carolina Panthers assistant coaches had the unique opportunity to call plays during their team's 31-26 win over the Buffalo Bills in the final preseason game. Offensive coordinator Brad Idzik, linebackers coach Pete Hansen, and defensive passing game coordinator Jonathan Cooley each took turns calling plays for different halves of the game.

Offensive coordinator Brad Idzik assumed play-calling duties from head coach Dave Canales for the second half. Linebackers coach Pete Hansen managed the defense for the first half, while defensive passing game coordinator Jonathan Cooley took over in the second half.

The process was part of a planned exercise with Canales and defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero. However, it came with its challenges, notably dealing with communication buttons on their headsets. "That mechanic was new for me because on game day, I'm not usually thinking about pushing a button to communicate," said Cooley.

Hansen found that identifying which button to press was initially confusing. "You don't know which button to push until somebody tells you," he explained.

Idzik had some prior experience, having called plays during a previous preseason game against the Jets. Nonetheless, he faced his own struggles with the buttons: "I pressed like, the talk button, which actually muted me talking to the other coaches."

Once they adapted to using the headsets, all three coaches focused on football strategy from an unfamiliar perspective. Each had past experiences calling plays at various levels but noted differences in doing so within an NFL context.

In preseason games, play-calling is constrained by simpler strategies compared to regular-season games. As Cooley pointed out, there were limitations: "There's things that you would love to call, but we're not doing those things in preseason."

The trio encountered real-time adjustments as well. When Buffalo ran out of running backs in the second half, it necessitated quick strategic changes from Canales and his team.

Canales emphasized that such experiences are crucial for developing adaptability among his coaching staff. He stated that these responsibilities come with significant implications for career advancement: "It's an ascension of where his career is headed."

During these sessions, support from more experienced staff members like Evero and advice from veteran coaches like Jim Caldwell proved invaluable. Caldwell provided Idzik with key situational reminders that proved useful during games.

For Canales himself, allowing others to handle play-calling enabled him to focus on broader aspects of being a head coach. He acknowledged needing to be more assertive when calling timeouts during games—a skill he continues to develop.

Overall, this hands-on experience is seen as beneficial not just for immediate performance but also for future opportunities within coaching careers. "Going forward, I always want to challenge myself," Idzik said.

Ultimately, if any of these coaches are called upon again in future games, they will now be better prepared thanks to this practical experience.