The Carolina Panthers season has gotten off to a terrible start. The team has lost both of their games in blowouts and quarterback Bryce Young has been poor. First-year head coach Dave Canales had to make the decision on whether to stick with Young or go with a more experienced quarterback in Andy Dalton.
Time To Move On From Young?
Dismal Statistics For Young
Young’s rookie season was one to forget. His second season is starting in the same way. With three interceptions in the first two games of the season, it is clear that work needs to be done. Young has only thrown for 245 yards and has just 31 completions. These statistics are just the beginning of a series of poor numbers for the Panthers quarterback.
In the 2023 season, Young ranked last among quarterbacks for passing yards. He threw for 2,877 yards in his rookie season, a surprisingly low number for the former Heisman winner. Young looked unconvincing, something that the Panthers were hoping would change in the 2024 season. So far, there have been no signs of the new and improved quarterback that Young might be in his second season.
Young Versus The Saints
The Panthers took on the New Orleans Saints in their first game of the season and it was another poor outing for Young. His first passing attempt of the game was an interception on a poorly thrown ball. He went on to throw another interception later in the game, as well.
Young completed 13 passes on 31 attempts and recorded 161 yards against the Saints. The offensive line allowed Young to be sacked four times, which is an area that desperately needed to be fixed after last season. Young failed to make do with the new offensive line, which cost a lot for the Panthers over the off-season.
Young Versus The Chargers
The Panthers’ second game was their home opener against the Los Angeles Chargers. After a poor first game, Young needed to make his mark during this game to save his starting spot. But Young failed once again to perform up to the standards that the Panthers wanted to get out of him.
Against the Chargers, Young completed 18 passes for 84 yards. His passes averaged only 3.2 yards, which left him with a poor quarterback rating of 6.4. Young was only sacked twice against the Chargers but also threw for an interception. The interception was almost identical to the first one he threw against the Saints in week one, which is a cause for concern.
Andy Dalton As Starting Quarterback
Andy Dalton didn’t get any preseason minutes and hasn’t played during the regular season yet. But Dave Canales named Dalton as the starting quarterback over Young going into week three. Dalton played three games in the 2023 season and his best game came against the Seattle Seahawks where he recorded 34 completions for 361 yards.
Dalton has been in the NFL since 2011, giving him a lot more experience than Young. In his first season, Dalton managed to throw for 3,398 yards, which gave him an average completion percentage of 58.1. Throughout his career, Dalton has amassed 38,510 throwing yards and 3,408 completions. He’s also thrown for 246 touchdowns.
While Dalton isn’t the best rusher, he can use his legs when he needs to. On the ground, Dalton has produced 22 touchdowns and 1,477 rushing yards. Dalton has abilities in the NFL that Young doesn’t have yet, which will give him an edge over Young in the next few games.
Behind a mostly solid offensive line, Dalton should be able to perform well and make some big plays for a team that hasn’t had any big plays yet this season. Dalton will have two big receivers in Diontae Johnson and Adam Thielen, while also having rookies like Xavier Legette and tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders. Dalton will face the Las Vegas Raiders away in his first game as starting quarterback this season.
Main Image: © Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images
