Panthers’ offense comes alive in blowout of Raiders with Andy Dalton in place of Bryce Young

Andy Dalton led the Panthers to their best offensive outing since they drafted Bryce Young. (Ian Maule/Getty Images)

Andy Dalton started at quarterback Sunday, and the Carolina Panthers’ offense didn’t look like the worst in football.

Far from it.

In the first game since the benching of Bryce Young, the Panthers unloaded on the Las Vegas Raiders in a 36-22 victory for their first win of the season. They did it on the road.

Dalton threw for 319 yards and three touchdowns and led the Panthers to scores on seven of their 12 possessions. The win was the first for the Panthers under rookie head coach Dave Canales. Dalton’s 300-yard, three-touchdown passing effort was the first of the season in the NFL.

Carolina controlled both sides of the ball against the Raiders. But it was the resurgent offense that stood out after a momentous quarterback change. The Panthers benched Young on Monday 18 games into his career after they traded up to select him first overall in the 2023 draft.

Dalton, a 14th-year NFL veteran who made three Pro Bowls as the starter for the Cincinnati Bengals, got the call to replace him in the starting lineup. He looked very much like his former Pro Bowl self.

Carolina opened the game with a 70-yard drive that ended with a touchdown pass from Dalton to running back Chuba Hubbard. The touchdown was just their second of the season and the first for this year’s Panthers in the first half. There were plenty more to come.

With the game tied at 7-7 in the second quarter, Dalton floated a pass under pressure over a pair of Raiders defenders to Diontae Johnson in the end zone for his second touchdown of the day.

Then, with time ticking off the final minute of the first half, Dalton delivered a 31-yard strike to Adam Thielen in the end zone — again over two Raiders defenders — to extend Carolina’s lead to 21-7.

The Panthers added two field goals and a touchdown run by Miles Sanders after halftime before the Raiders responded on offense. By then, Carolina’s lead had…

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Author : Yahoo Sports

Publish date : 2024-09-22 23:20:48

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