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Backup QBs Andy Dalton, Malik Willis shine; starters Jalen Hurts, Will Levis struggle

Eric Williams

NFL Reporter

Sometimes a quarterback switch can go a long way toward changing the mindset of a team.

That certainly was the case for the Carolina Panthers, who started the season 0-2 but looked like a much different team with Andy Dalton taking over for Bryce Young.

The Panthers had managed 13 points through two games with Young as the signal-caller, but scored 21 points in the first half of the team’s surprising road win over the Las Vegas Raiders. 

Young had three passing touchdowns in his past 11 games, while Dalton had three in the first half against the Raiders. 

Dalton, who turns 37 next month, wasn’t the only backup QB to go off on Sunday. Let’s take a look at this week’s Heat Index. 

WHO’S HOT 

Andy Dalton, QB, Panthers

The TCU product had been the starter for the Cincinnati Bengals for his first nine seasons in the NFL, posting a 70-61-2 record and four postseason appearances during that time. So Dalton is no stranger to having success on the field.

His presence in the starting lineup for Carolina allowed Dave Canales to run the offense he envisioned when he took over as the head coach. That meant getting the ball out quickly. According to Next Gen Stats, Las Vegas blitzed on 59% of Carolina’s pass attempts, more than double what the Raiders executed in the first two weeks of the season (25.4%). Dalton, however, got rid of the ball in 2.02 seconds on average against the blitz to defeat the pressure. 

The Panthers also achieved balance on offense with Chuba Hubbard rushing for 114 yards. Next up for Dalton? His former team, as Carolina hosts the Bengals. 

Dallas Goedert, TE, Eagles

In Philly’s win over the New Orleans Saints, Goedert finished with a career-high 10 catches for 170 yards, the most in a single game by a tight end in Eagles history.

According to Next Gen Stats, Goedert churned out 117 yards after the catch. He hauled in four of his 10 catches on in-breaking routes for 156 yards,…


Source link : https://www.foxsports.com/stories/nfl/nfl-week-3-heat-index-andy-dalton-malik-willis-jalen-hurts-will-levis

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Publish date : 2024-09-23 14:48:02

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