Andy Dalton’s triumphant return might force the Panthers’ hand

Carolina won for the first time in 2024, and Andy Dalton was a big reason why

Andy Dalton’s last NFL start came in Week 3 of the 2023 NFL season. Stepping into the starting lineup for the Carolina Panthers in place of an injured Bryce Young. All Dalton did against the Seattle Seahawks that afternoon was complete 34 passes for 361 yards and a pair of touchdowns in a 37-27 loss.

Dalton stepped into the starting lineup again for the Panthers on Sunday, albeit under different circumstances, and gave Carolina some things they have been missing this season: Production from the quarterback position, and a victory.

The veteran passer connected on 26-of-37 passes for 319 yards and three touchdowns, and the Panthers won their first game since Week 15 of the 2023 campaign, defeating the Las Vegas Raiders on the road by a final score of 36-22.

His production also stands out because it comes at the start of the season that has seen passing games struggle. To that point, consider this:

f you had that bet placed before the season began, congratulations.

Dalton and the Panthers opened the scoring on a six-yard touchdown pass to Chuba Hubbard, capping off a 9-play, 70-yard drive to begin the game. Facing 2nd and goal at the six-yard line, Dalton retreated in the pocket before finding Hubbard on a swing screen to the right. From there the running back picked up a block from Jonathan Mingo and barreled into the end zone, through a pair of Raiders defenders:

Dalton’s two other touchdown passes, however, came with a much higher level of difficulty.

After the Raiders knotted the score at 7-7, the Panthers drove back down the field, eventually facing a 3rd-and-Goal situation at the Raiders’ five-yard line. Dalton faced some pressure off the left edge from Las Vegas pass rusher Tyree Wilson, but slid to his right to avoid that pressure before dropping in a precision throw to Diontae Johnson for the touchdown:

Not only did Dalton drop in this throw over cornerback Jack Jones, who was trailing Johnson in man coverage, to perfection but he also needed to navigate safety Tre’von Moehrig as well. Moehrig was shaded to that side of the field over running back Miles Sanders but got depth on the play and posed another threat to Dalton.

But one the quarterback was able to navigate perfectly with his arm.

However, if you thought that throw was good, Dalton’s third touchdown strike — a 35-laser to Adam Thielen — might be the best throw of the week:

Carolina aligns in an empty backfield, with a three-receiver bunch to the right consisting of Mingo on the inside, David Moore on the outside, and Thielen in the middle. Mingo and Thielen run a pair of vertical routes, with Mingo breaking toward the middle of the field on a post route while Thielen stays vertical on a seam route.

With the Raiders in Cover-4 — one of the two-deep safety coverages that have caused some consternation around the game in recent days — the routes from Mingo and Thielen work to bracket the safety to that side of the field, Marcus Epps. Jones, the cornerback to that side, helps on Thielen after peeling off a short route from Moore, and Epps breaks on the throw as well, but Dalton puts this pass into an absolute shoebox.

He could not have walked into the end zone and handed it to Thielen in a better spot.

Going beyond the three touchdown passes, Dalton showed a willingness — and a comfort — attacking the middle of the field. While the veteran completed several passes over the middle, including this one on a dig route to Johnson to move the chains on third down, two of Young’s three interceptions this season have come when attacking the middle of the field:

Dalton’s performance likely raises the question of how long he will, or should, remain in the starting lineup for the Panthers. Ahead of the early slate of games on Sunday, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported that the plan in Carolina is for Young to remain a backup, with there existing a “chance” that the team could return to Young in the future, depending on how the upcoming weeks play out.

However, two factors might force Carolina’s hand in this situation. First is the reporting that some teams have inquired about Young in a trade. Take, for example, the Miami Dolphins. With Tua Tagovailoa suffering a concussion in Week 2, and Skylar Thompson leaving Sunday’s game against the Seattle Seahawks with a chest injury, the Dolphins could make for an ideal landing spot for Young.

In addition, Mike McDaniel could be one of the coaches who could get the most out of Young, despite the shaky start to his career.

The other factor that could force Carolina’s hand in this situation?

If Dalton keeps making plays like these, he will give the Panthers a chance to win every week.

Something they have not done much of in recent years.

Or maybe there is just something special about Dalton and Week 3.