Andy Dalton was meant to be the experienced backup and guide for Bryce Young, who was the top pick in last year’s draft.
However, Panthers coach Dave Canales changed Dalton’s role when he decided to bench Young after just two games, surprising many in the NFL.
Dalton provided the boost Carolina needed on Sunday, passing for 319 yards and three touchdowns to lead the Panthers to a 36-22 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders, marking their first win.
“The way this game went today is exactly how you want it to go,” said Dalton, who now has a 4-0 record against the Raiders. “They’re not all going to go this way, but for us to come out and do what we did, it shows the potential of what we can be.”
With this win, Carolina (1-2) improved from a tough 3-17 record dating back to last season, where they were outscored 73-13 by the Saints and Chargers in the first two weeks.
After seeing the frustration from the receivers towards Young, Canales believed Dalton gave the team a better chance to win.
Dalton played like the quarterback known as “Red Rifle” during his prime, showing sharp skills at 36 years old, despite not starting since Week 3 of last season. He completed 26 of 37 passes and became the first NFL quarterback this season to throw for over 300 yards and three touchdowns.
In his four starts against the Raiders, Dalton has thrown for 1,027 yards and 10 touchdowns.
In the first half, Dalton alone threw for 212 yards and three touchdowns, marking his first three-TD game in two years. This performance boosted a Panthers offense that had only scored one field goal in their previous two road games.
Canales, the first-year coach celebrating his first win, faced many questions about how much credit Dalton deserved.
“I felt like the whole group in general showed up ready,” said Canales, who had several family members, including his parents, at the game. “This is a really serious and really focused group and something I’ve had to get used to because I’m so high energy.
I want things to be a party all the time. This group is like, ‘Coaches, tell us what you need and we’ll do it.’”
Supporting Canales’ idea of teamwork, Chuba Hubbard rushed for 114 yards and caught five passes for 55 yards and a touchdown. Diontae Johnson had eight catches for 122 yards and a touchdown.
“I feel like we all played as one today,” Hubbard said. “Obviously, we faced a lot of adversity early on this year. But keep trusting the coaching and keep trusting each other, and it all came together for us.”
This was a tough loss for Las Vegas (1-2), which wanted to build on its 26-23 win against Baltimore last week but instead played like a team that had a low win projection of 6.5 at BetMGM Sportsbook.
Gardner Minshew completed 18 of 28 passes for 214 yards, along with one touchdown and one interception. The Las Vegas running game, which was last in the league with an average of 49 yards, managed only 55 yards in this game.
Offensive coordinator Luke Getsy faced repeated boos during the game for his conservative play-calling. His cautious strategy has become a talking point, especially since his former quarterback with the Bears, Justin Fields, is 3-0 with the Steelers this season.
More concerning for the Raiders was their defense’s inability to stop Dalton, Hubbard, or Johnson. Not having Maxx Crosby on the field for every defensive snap, after he injured his ankle against the Ravens, made things worse.
“The scheme wasn’t good enough, the design of the plays wasn’t good enough today, what we thought was going to work didn’t work, and we didn’t execute on the field,” Raiders coach Antonio Pierce said. “Nor did we put forth the effort, to me, that we put up in games past.”
Carolina took advantage early, scoring touchdowns on two of its first three drives to lead 14-7. This opening drive ended a 20-game streak where the Panthers failed to score a touchdown on their first series.
It also marked their first lead since they were ahead 9-7 against the Falcons on December 17.
The Panthers continued to extend their lead and broke a 20-game streak without leading in the fourth quarter, which dated back to Week 17 in 2022 against the Buccaneers. They started the fourth quarter up 27-7 against the Raiders.
