Although the Carolina Panthers lost to the Cincinnati Bengals, 24-34, there were positives to come out of the game. Quarterback Andy Dalton continued his impressive form after assurance came that he is the Panthers’ starting quarterback. Chuba Hubbard also impressed again, with the majority of his yardage coming on the ground.
Positive Takeaways for the Panthers
Strong Starting Quarterback
The Panthers desperately needed a strong quarterback to lead the team and get them back on track after their zero-two start to the season. Dalton has been that spark for the offense and continued to show his presence on the field against his former team.
Dalton had 25 completions on 40 attempts in the loss to the Bengals, giving him a completion percentage of 62.5. He also threw for two touchdowns but had an interception in the first half. His second-quarter touchdown to Legette marked his 250th career touchdown pass. Dalton appears to be the best option at quarterback for the remainder of the season for the Panthers.
The connections between Dalton and his top receivers have been strong since he took over the starting quarterback position. Diontae Johnson followed up his impressive week three performance against the Las Vegas Raiders with another strong outing against the Bengals. Rookie Xavier Legette also put on a show with his best performance so far.
Key Offensive Players
Hubbard has been explosive in the Panthers’ last two games. Against the Bengals, Hubbard had 18 carries for 104 yards and one touchdown. He also recorded 4 catches on 4 targets for an additional 17 yards. Hubbard remains the top running back for the Panthers, with Miles Sanders being second to him. The dynamics should change for the Panthers when Jonathon Brooks can make his NFL debut following a stint on injured reserve.
Diontae Johnson has made a big impact on this Panthers’ offense. He had seven receptions for 83 yards and one touchdown against the Bengals. The longest reception he had was for 39 yards. Johnson has proved to be a big target for Dalton, which could potentially see his volume drop if defenses try to double-team him in the future. With Adam Thielen on injured reserve, Johnson will continue to see more targets, as he is the most experienced wide receiver on the team.
Rookie Legette impressed again, dazzling fans with his first career touchdown. Legette looked explosive against the Bengals. He was able to create space from defenders and make himself available for Dalton to throw pinpoint accurate passes to him. Although he did have a couple of dropped passes, for the most part, Legette looked very steady against a good Bengals defense. Legette caught six passes for 66 yards on 10 targets. He will likely get even more passes thrown his way with Johnson being top on defense’s radars.
Strong Defensive Presence
The Panthers’ defense continued to perform well, despite giving up 34 points to the Bengals. Xavier Woods managed to intercept Joe Burrow in the fourth quarter, which gave him his first interception of the season. He also returned the interception for 33 yards, which set the Panthers up for a field goal. Woods led the team in tackles, with 10 total, seven of those being solo tackles.
The defense excelled in the first quarter, allowing only eight rushing yards in the first fifteen minutes. The Bengals only recorded 49 yards in the first quarter, which was a season-low for the Panthers’ defense.
Week 5 Preview
The Panthers will face the Chicago Bears in week five for another away game. The Bears are two and two and are favored to win this matchup. The Panthers will hope that Dalton will continue his impressive form and get their second win of the season. Key players to watch will be Diontae Johnson and Xavier Legette as both are getting much-needed looks and gaining more yardage for the offense.
Main Image: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images
