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The Carolina Panthers might’ve found their quarterback of the (immediate) future following the replacement of Bryce Young. In his first start of the NFL season, veteran passer Andy Dalton shined.
The signal caller tossed a trio of touchdown passes while breaking the 300-yard mark. The job now seems his to lose!
Dalton entered the 2024 campaign in his second year with Carolina. He appeared in three games last season, making one start while Young nursed an injury.
He was expected to again act in a reserve role for the Panthers this year, but the script flipped in Week 3.
Bryce Young struggled in his first two starts, leading the team to replace the former No. 1 overall draft pick. Through those two matchups, he completed just 55% of his attempts while averaging 122.5 yards per game.
Dalton bested those numbers easily in his first appearance.
What a throw by @andydalton14! What a catch by @athielen19!
📺: #CARvsLV on CBS/Paramount
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/9kJOeUA22e— NFL (@NFL) September 22, 2024
Andy Dalton tossed three scores in the first half to get his team way out in front. They wouldn’t look back while taking down the Raiders 36-22.
He threw for 319 yards, too, doing much of that damage over the first 20 minutes of play. It was arguably the best performance by an NFL passer this year.
There is ONE player in the NFL this season with 300 Pass Yards and 3 Pass TD in a single game
Andy Dalton pic.twitter.com/Gs9qdViqyD
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) September 22, 2024
For some perspective, Young has three touchdown passes over his last 10 appearances. He’s never eclipsed 315 yards passing in a game as an NFL quarterback.
Dalton’s performance likely signals the end of any QB controversies in Carolina for the time being, though there are some who haven’t given up hope on Young as a pro prospect.
For now, the job appears to be Andy Dalton’s to lose. His next test will come in Week 4 against the team he made first a name with upon entering the league.
The Panthers will host the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday as they look to mover to .500 on the year. We’ll see if Dalton has another impressive performance in him when Cincy visits Bank of America Stadium.
What a storyline it would be if he’s able to land another big win.