CHARLOTTE—Around three hours before game time, as equipment managers scurry around the sidelines and trainers begin setting up, Dave Canales walks out of the tunnel, turns toward the outside edge of the end zone, and starts his laps. For about 20 minutes, he circles the field, doing a series of exercises, stretches, sprints, and then a cool-down walk.

Sometimes he's joined by offensive coordinator Brad Idzik; other times, by position coaches; and sometimes he spends the time in solitude.

Call it tradition, superstition, or just a plain old habit. But it's something he's done since his early career as a position coach with Seattle, circling the field in quiet contemplation, using the window of time to turn his mind from game prep to game day. And even as he rose the ranks of the coaching

See Full Page