'A vet presence': Panthers reward Dalton after win

LAS VEGAS – Carolina Panthers quarterback Andy Dalton seemed relaxed and comfy as he paused from Sunday’s pre-game warmups to pose for an image along with his spouse and buddies on the sideline at Allegiant Stadium.

It was that demeanor first-year coach Dave Canales was in search of earlier within the week when he benched Bryce Young in favor of the 36-year-old veteran, who delivered with three first-half landing passes in a 36-22 victory over the Las Vegas Raiders.

It was that demeanor Canales felt a group stinging from an 0-2 begin by a mixed 60 factors wanted to jumpstart an offense and group he felt was nearer than the losses seemed to discovering an id.

“That was certainly one of issues coming into this, I obtained an opportunity to only be me and be on the market like how I usually am,” Dalton mentioned after finishing 26 of 37 move makes an attempt for 319 yards and three touchdowns. “I am usually fairly calm, I am usually relaxed.

“Guys have been having enjoyable. I used to be simply attempting to ensure guys have been having enjoyable, since you put in a ton of labor for this factor . . . and now you get a time to only go and benefit from the work you place it.”

Nothing had been enjoyable for the Panthers in a 47-10 loss to New Orleans opening week and 26-3 setback to the Los Angeles Chargers within the house opener coming off an NFL-worst 2-15 season.

It had been particularly arduous offensively with Younger, the highest choose of the 2023 draft, placing up traditionally unhealthy numbers.

Benching the quarterback {that a} 12 months in the past group proprietor David Tepper proclaimed would win “Tremendous Bowls” at Carolina made for what Canales known as a “actually heavy week.” Seeing all of it come collectively in an entire group victory was satisfying even when he was lower than his regular cheerful self in his postgame presser following his first win as an NFL head coach.

“I am smiling inside,” Canales mentioned. “I am completely beat. This has been an incredible week, however once more a very heavy week simply with all of the elements, simply getting again to work and to proceed to push to determine our tradition and course of.”

Canales pushes complementary soccer and stays away from giving an excessive amount of reward to at least one participant. He by no means actually credited Dalton particularly with jumpstarting the turnaround after two weeks of getting Carolina being known as by critics the worst group within the league.

Nevertheless it was Dalton that set the tone. He led Carolina to a landing on its opening sequence, ending the NFL’s longest lively streak of a group failing to perform that at 20 video games.

His three first-half touchdowns have been probably the most by a Carolina quarterback since Cam Newton did it on Dec. 20, 2015 in opposition to the New York Giants throughout his NFL MVP season.

It was the primary time since Week 16 of 2022 that Carolina had been up by seven-plus factors within the first half. It had gone seven straight video games with out holding any lead interval, the third-longest streak during the last 20 seasons.

So it had been dismal, and the largest distinction from the primary two video games was Dalton, identified since faculty because the “Pink Rifle” for his vibrant purple hair.

“A vet presence,” large receiver Diontae Johnson mentioned of what Dalton introduced that was lacking. “Simply having a quarterback again there to get us in place, rating, execute performs. We simply did an ideal job of staying locked in. Each play known as we made probably the most of it.”

Johnson, acquired in an offseason commerce with the Pittsburgh Steelers to assist enhance Younger, completed with a career-high 122 yards receiving and a landing on eight catches. He had solely 5 catches for 34 yards the primary two video games with Younger.

The operating sport flourished with Dalton as properly. Chuba Hubbard had 114 yards on 21 carries and caught 5 passes for 55 yards and the primary landing.

It was Carolina’s first sport with a 300-yard passer, 100-yard rusher and 100-yard receiver since Week 8 of 2022 in opposition to the Atlanta Falcons.

“Panthers soccer,” mentioned Canales, who has pressured for weeks the group nonetheless was looking for an id. “That is Panthers’ soccer, group soccer proper there. And I get to indicate [the players] that, and I get to indicate them the way it all enhances and performs off one another.”

For Dalton the sport solidified he nonetheless has what it takes on the finish of his profession to play successful soccer. For Younger it justified why he was benched and amplified like most rookie quarterbacks he wants time to develop.

Whereas Dalton and the Panthers have been celebrating, Younger on the sideline observing with no actual expression. His first transfer after the sport was to seek out Raiders quarterback Gardner Minshew and provides him a hug.

“It positively was a heavy week, and arduous on lots of people,” Dalton mentioned. “Bryce and I’ve had conversations all through this entire factor. These conversations are between us.”

The heavy week turned a joyous Sunday with the group holding a fourth-quarter lead with time on the clock for the primary time in 20 video games courting again to Week 18 of 2022.

Dalton was all smiles, and tried his greatest to get Canales to smile afterwards.

Even large receiver Adam Thielen, who suffered a hamstring harm on a 31-yard, second-quarter landing catch that would drive him to overlook video games, was smiling. Dalton, who will get to face the group (Cincinnati Bengals) that drafted him in 2011 subsequent week, was a giant motive.

“Andy did an ideal job of simply speaking and main us and beginning quick,” mentioned Thielen, who plans to have an MRI on Monday. “That was his message to us, we have to begin quick, and he was capable of lead that first drive and get that momentum.”