The Carolina Panthers found their groove on Sunday, steamrolling the Las Vegas Raiders 36-22 in a much-needed road win.
It was a day of firsts for the Panthers, with Andy Dalton stepping in as starting quarterback after Bryce Young’s two-game stint ended in disappointment.
The change at the helm sparked a dramatic turnaround for an offense that had been sputtering.
Dalton looked rejuvenated, threading needles and launching deep balls with a precision Young had struggled to match.
He even claimed a league-first this season, becoming the only QB to pass for over 300 yards and three touchdowns in a single game.
Given Dalton’s stellar showing, Panthers head coach Dave Canales wasted no time naming him the starter going forward.
As Joe Person of The Athletic reported, Canales stated simply, “Andy’s our quarterback. He gives us our best chance to win.”
The decision seems a no-brainer when you look at the numbers.
Under Young, the Panthers’ offense languished at the bottom of the NFL, scraping together a meager 176 yards and 6.5 points per game.
Dalton’s debut, by contrast, saw the team explode for 437 yards – their second-highest point total in five seasons.
The stat sheets tell an even starker tale. Young’s back-to-back games yielded a dismal Total QBR of 8.9, while Dalton notched an impressive 86.9 on Sunday alone.
Young’s struggles had made it challenging to gauge the true potential of the offensive line and receiving corps.
Now, with Dalton running the show, it’s clear the Panthers have the pieces to field a competitive offense.
