The Carolina Panthers discovered their groove on Sunday, steamrolling the Las Vegas Raiders 36-22 in a much-needed street win.
It was a day of firsts for the Panthers, with Andy Dalton stepping in as beginning quarterback after Bryce Younger’s two-game stint resulted in disappointment.
The change on the helm sparked a dramatic turnaround for an offense that had been sputtering.
Dalton seemed rejuvenated, threading needles and launching deep balls with a precision Younger had struggled to match.
He even claimed a league-first this season, changing into the one QB to move for over 300 yards and three touchdowns in a single recreation.
Given Dalton’s stellar displaying, Panthers head coach Dave Canales wasted no time naming him the starter going ahead.
As Joe Individual of The Athletic reported, Canales acknowledged merely, “Andy’s our quarterback. He gives us our best chance to win.”
Dave Canales on Andy Dalton: “Andy’s our quarterback. He gives us our best chance to win.”
— Joe Individual (@josephperson) September 23, 2024
The choice appears a no brainer if you take a look at the numbers.
Underneath Younger, the Panthers’ offense languished on the backside of the NFL, scraping collectively a meager 176 yards and 6.5 factors per recreation.
Dalton’s debut, against this, noticed the crew explode for 437 yards – their second-highest level complete in 5 seasons.
The stat sheets inform a good starker story. Younger’s back-to-back video games yielded a dismal Complete QBR of 8.9, whereas Dalton notched a powerful 86.9 on Sunday alone.
Younger’s struggles had made it difficult to gauge the true potential of the offensive line and receiving corps.
Now, with Dalton working the present, it’s clear the Panthers have the items to discipline a aggressive offense.
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