There are only three NFL teams that haven’t felt the fiery wrath of the “Red Rifle.” But that very short list can be cut down to two on Sunday.
Carolina Panthers starting quarterback Andy Dalton spoke with reporters ahead of his team’s Week 5 visit to see the Chicago Bears. The 36-year-old veteran was asked about returning to the “Windy City,” where he spent one of his 14 pro seasons.
“Yeah, it’ll be fun to be back,” he said on Wednesday. “For me, I think the biggest thing is Chicago is one of the teams that I haven’t beat in my career. There’s only a couple of them, I think there’s three left—and unfortunately, one of them’s the Carolina Panthers, so I’m not gonna be able to do that. But, yeah, Chicago and Dallas, another team that I played for is another one that I haven’t beat.”
Dalton is currently 0-for-2 in his career against the Bears. He and the Cincinnati Bengals took a 24-21 loss to Chicago in 2013 and a 33-7 beatdown in 2017.
But if he keeps up the impressive play from his first two starts, then the third time could be a charm this weekend. And if it is, he can then set his sights on those Cowboys in Week 15.
When it comes to beating the Panthers, that may be another story for another year. Dalton is set to become a free agent at season’s end, so that prospect isn’t completely off the table.
As of now, however, there are only four quarterbacks who have defeated every team in their NFL careers—Brett Favre, Peyton Manning, Drew Brees and Tom Brady.
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