The Carolina Panthers needed a hero in week three and quarterback Andy Dalton delivered. Dalton was named the starting quarterback earlier in the week after poor performances from second-year quarterback Bryce Young. Dalton came up big in the game against the Las Vegas Raiders, leading the Panthers to their first win of the season and in the Dave Canales era.
Andy Dalton to the Rescue
Big Plays for the Panthers
The first drive of the game for the Panthers proved to be the tempo-setter for the team. Dalton found his receivers and made big throws that Young hadn’t been able to make. Tight end Tommy Tremble set the tone after a big pick-up into the red zone, hyping up the rest of the team. The Panthers went on to score on this drive with a pass from Dalton to running back Chuba Hubbard.
Throughout the game, the Panthers continued to dazzle, both on offense and defense. Hubbard was able to break through the Raiders’ lines, furthering the Panthers’ run game. Diontae Johnson led the Panthers’ receivers in yards and number of receptions, which led him to his biggest game as a Panther. Johnson scored the second touchdown of the game for the Panthers after a perfectly thrown pass from Dalton found his hands in the endzone.
Rookie Xavier Legette made his mark on the game, coming up with two big receptions. His explosive pace helped him gain more yards after the catch. Legette ended the game with two receptions for 42 yards, the third-highest on the team.
On the defensive side of things, the Panthers were able to keep top receiver Davante Adams to only four receptions and 40 yards. They also added an interception to their stats, coming off a poorly thrown pass from Gardner Minshew. The Panthers only allowed 331 yards and had three sacks during the game.
Numbers for the Panthers
The Panthers recorded big numbers for the first time this season. Dalton had 26 completions on 37 attempts. He threw for 319 yards and three touchdowns and no interceptions. Dalton was sacked twice, but most of the game was clean for the offensive line, something that the Panthers have been working on.
The Panthers’ run game proved to be very successful against the Raiders. The team totaled 131 rushing yards with Hubbard getting the bulk of touches. Hubbard ran for 114 yards on 21 carries. Miles Sanders added 17 yards and a rushing touchdown to those rushing statistics. Rookie running back Jonathon Brooks will hope to add more competition when he returns from injury soon.
In terms of receiving, Johnson led the Panthers with eight receptions for 122 yards and a touchdown. Hubbard showed his duality with five receptions for 55 yards and a touchdown, as well. Adam Thielen impressed with his touchdown catch, but he ultimately left the game with a hamstring issue. The Panthers will hope that this is nothing serious and will know more after an MRI. Tremble and Jonathan Mingo also recorded three catches for 29 and 18 yards, respectively.
Looking Ahead
The Panthers will face the Cincinnati Bengals this coming week. They will hope to ride the momentum from their win into this game and gain their first home win of the season. Canales will be looking to keep morale high and give Dalton a chance to impress against his former team.
Main Image: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
