Tag: Andy Dalton

Where do the Panthers stand in NFL power rankings heading into Week 3?

This shouldn’t be much of a mystery, should it?

With another tally to the loss column and another quarterback potentially in the waste bucket, the Carolina Panthers are already in line for a disappointing 2024 campaign.

Let’s see where they stand across the power rankings following their Week 2 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers . . .

USA TODAY

Author: Nate Davis

Rank: 32 (-1)

Take: “If Joe Flacco could come off the couch to save the Browns at age 38 a year ago, why shouldn’t Andy Dalton be able to do it at age 36 by simply turning his clipboard, er tablet, over to Bryce Young after the team stunningly pulled the ripcord on him after two 2024 starts?”

NFL.com

Author: Eric Edholm

Rank: 32 (-)

Take: “With just under four minutes left in the first half Sunday, the Panthers — trailing 13-0 — gained their first first down of the game. Then, on the next play, Bryce Young forced an interception into traffic. Three plays later, J.K. Dobbins somersaulted into the end zone for a 43-yard TD, pushing the Bolts’ advantage to 20-0, and that was all she wrote. The Panthers mustered two 40-yard drives on Sunday; the rest came in at 13 yards or fewer. Carolina crossed the Los Angeles 43-yard line on exactly one possession. The Panthers ran one red-zone play, and it ended in an incompletion. This offense is somehow worse than last year’s so far, averaging fewer than 15 yards per possession. On Monday, Dave Canales made a massive switch, benching Young and turning the ball over to Andy Dalton. It’s a bold call that also might be the right one. Young looks underwater for the first three quarters of every game, and he’s barely treading by the end. This might mark a setback in Young’s already-slow development, but this team can’t score with him right now.”

ESPN

Author: David Newton

Rank: 32 (-)

Take (on most important role player/backup): “Yes, the Panthers are a mess all around, particularly at quarterback with Bryce Young’s struggles through the first two weeks leading to his benching. But if any member of the starting offensive line goes down, it could get even worse. Christensen has shown he’s capable of being a starter at guard and tackle, and he’s now the backup center for Austin Corbett. Talk about multitasking.”

CBS Sports

Author: Pete Prisco

Rank: 32 (-)

Take: “They hope benching Bryce Young for Andy Dalton can liven up things. It won’t be any worse. But what does that mean for Young?”

Pro Football Talk

Author: Mike Florio

Rank: 32 (-)

Take: “David Tepper is just another former Steelers minority owner who has no idea how to be a competent majority owner.”

Yahoo Sports

Author: Frank Schwab

Rank: 32 (-1)

Take: “Benching Bryce Young after two games is shocking. Young hadn’t done anything to deserve to keep his QB job, but it’s hard to remember a team giving up on a No. 1 overall draft pick so quickly. The Panthers could still turn back to Young and he could revive his career, but there’s not much reason for that kind of optimism after Monday’s news.”

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ESPN’s Mel Kiper blasts Panthers for their handling of Bryce Young in intense rant

ESPN draft guru Mel Kiper believes the Panthers are to blame for Bryce Young’s struggles in the NFL.

There’s a lot of finger-pointing going on since the Carolina Panthers decided to bench quarterback Bryce Young on Monday. And when it comes to the godfather of NFL draft coverage, he’s pointing his finger straight at upper management.

ESPN analyst and longtime draft guru Mel Kiper joined Tuesday’s episode of Get Up to discuss the demotion of last year’s No. 1 overall pick. Head coach Dave Canales announced yesterday that the team will sit the second-year passer and move ahead with 14th-year veteran Andy Dalton beginning in Week 3.

Kiper believes Young’s struggles have come as a result of the organization mishandling him, and made that rather clear in a very passionate rant this morning . . .

Young was ranked as Kiper’s No. 2 overall player and top quarterback prospect heading into the 2023 draft. He would, of course, be selected right off the top of the board by Carolina that spring.

Since then, Young has played under three different head coaches (one interim), three different offensive play-callers and two different general managers. The Panthers are 2-16 in games started by Young—who has thrown for 173.4 yards per game with 11 touchdowns and 13 interceptions.

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Dave Canales’ benching of Bryce Young a move for the greater good of the Panthers

The logic behind Dave Canales’ decision to bench Bryce Young comes back to his No. 1 responsibility—the Carolina Panthers.

Already down 23-3 around the midpoint of the third quarter, the Carolina Panthers didn’t have much to hang onto in their Week 2 matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers. But whatever was left was given away by quarterback Bryce Young.

Young, on a third-and-7 from Carolina’s own 33-yard line, scared himself into a sack—turning down an open pocket in front of him only to scatter backwards into the waiting arms of Pro Bowl pass rusher Joey Bosa.

It was just one of a handful of head-scratching plays the former Heisman Trophy winner has already made this season, as he’s continued to mystify fans in a much different way compared to his magical, playmaking days at the University of Alabama.

His mistake also perplexed veteran wide receiver Adam Thielen, who was caught in an uncharacteristic display of emotion at the sideline . . .

It was in this moment that Thielen not only gave us a simple glimpse into human nature. He also gave the Panthers and head coach Dave Canales a glimpse into exactly what they do not want.

Since then, Young has been officially bumped. Canales announced on Monday that he’s decided to bench the 23-year-old Young in favor of 36-year-old Andy Dalton beginning in Week 3.

Albeit a somber one, the decision represented the first big-time move from the first-year head coach. Whether or not owner David Tepper played a role in the choice, demoting last year’s No. 1 overall pick takes some courage.

Oh, and Young’s not just any plain ol’ No. 1 overall pick. Tepper and the Panthers forked over what’s turning out to be a crippling ransom to get into position for him.

So, why did Canales pull the plug on Young so quickly? Why did this supposed quarterback whisperer bail on the project he was brought in to ace?

Well, we have to look back to Thielen’s reaction from Sunday.

Although Canales was hired, in part, to “fix” Young after a disappointing rookie campaign, his overall objective is to fix the Panthers. And that, with a six-year identity crisis plaguing the franchise into the deepest bowels of the NFL’s basement, can only begin by establishing a culture.

That didn’t seem feasible given Young’s early play, which has—ironically enough—stunted the growth of Carolina’s offense. Through two games, Young has passed for just 245 yards, no touchdowns and three interceptions while the Panthers have amassed all of 13 points and a grand total of two successful third-down conversions.

His performance has been particularly concerning given the relatively solid offerings from the players around him. In addition to his pass catchers finally finding some space, Young’s starting offensive line has done awfully well—as the five hog mollies have combined to allow just nine pressures thus far.

But when a quarterback isn’t doing his job, the rest of the team suffers. And when the team suffers, players cannot buy in and a culture cannot evolve.

What do you tell wideout Diontae Johnson, who has only five receptions for 34 yards to start a contract year? What do you tell Thielen, who may not have many seasons left in his 34-year-old body?

While some may believe that sticking with Young and hoping he eventually matures into the organization’s massive investment is the logical approach, it’s not very sensible to the other 52 men on the roster. You can’t tell them you’re staying with a quarterback who cannot operate a pro offense right now.

That is, essentially, what Canales told reporters on Monday.

“Every single week—we’re evaluating our roster, we’re challenging all spots, we’re looking to just be as competitive as possible,” he said. “And that’s the part that we owe, again, to everybody—is to really continue to evaluate who we have out there, who can help us.”

Courageous decisions can often made out of fear for the greater good. So even though he may be admitting a particularly painful failure on Young, at least for now, Canales has bravely taken one for his team.

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Report: Panthers QB Bryce Young ‘very shocked’ by his benching

Multiple reports have indicated that Bryce Young was shocked by the Panthers’ decision to bench him.

The Carolina Panthers’ decision to bench quarterback Bryce Young was a surprise to many, perhaps even to Young himself.

On Monday, the team opted to bump the struggling second-year passer after just the second game of the 2024 campaign. Shortly after the news broke courtesy of NFL Network insider Tom Pelissero, ESPN’s David Newton posted the following to Twitter/X:

Newton’s sentiment would later be seconded by this report from league insider Jordan Schultz . . .

Head coach Dave Canales spoke on the decision this afternoon. He declined to provide details regarding his discussion with Young.

Young, who has started 18 games since being drafted with the No. 1 overall pick in 2023, will give way to 36-year-old veteran Andy Dalton beginning in Week 3.

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Panthers face a long road ahead after Bryce Young’s benching

We may be at the beginning of the end for the Bryce Age.

The Carolina Panthers might’ve just made a franchise-altering decision.

On Monday, the team opted to bench second-year quarterback and 2023 No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young after a startlingly slow start to the 2024 season. He will be replaced by 36-year-old veteran Andy Dalton, who is now in his 14th NFL campaign.

Head coach Dave Canales spoke to reporters about the move this afternoon, explaining the logic behind the somewhat shocking switch.

“A lot of factors that go into it, for this decision,” he said. “And ultimately, it just kinda lands on my shoulders to be able to make the best decision for our group to give us our chance, our best chance to win this week. And we focus on the weeks, we focus on the challenge at hand. And we feel like Andy gives us our best chance to meet the challenge.”

This is a tough move to make, especially for for a first-year head coach. But this development also peels back the state of the Panthers organization as a whole . . . even more.

Young, who measured in at 5-foot-10 and 196 pounds at the 2023 combine, was an outlier heading into last year’s draft. He’d be one of the smallest quarterbacks ever selected, which came with an uncontrollable downside.

While he was praised for his mental makeup, quickness and playmaking ability, Young lacked the physical tools that many teams covet at the position. And along with durability and height concerns, Young’s arm talent wasn’t considered anything particularly special.

So, the situation needed to be near-perfect for Young to succeed. Unfortunately, he landed in an unsustainable environment.

After a rough 2023 season, where Young threw just 11 touchdowns and was sacked 62 times as rookie, the Panthers made an effort to nurture their investment. Not only did they hire a “quarterback whisperer” at head coach in Dave Canales, but they worked to surround Young with a stronger interior offensive line and a handful of new playmakers.

But the first two games of the reboot have shown that Young may be a shell of what he was as a Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback at the University of Alabama. He seems to have very little confidence in what he can do on the field and has hindered the Carolina offense, which has notched just one touchdown and two successful third-down conversions thus far.

This has been a case of regression for Young and of a team that could not afford to have it happen.

Young’s benching, even if it turns out to be the right decision in the long haul, has also solidified the Panthers’ spot in the sport’s cellar. Carolina has gone 2-16 in starts under Young—who was essentially acquired for a king’s ransom that included a Pro Bowl-caliber wide receiver, two first-round picks and two second-round picks.

So now, to put it bluntly, it’s time to look at the future if you’re Canales and general manager Dan Morgan.

It’s unclear what the 2025 and 2026 draft classes possess in terms of quarterback talent, as the league is months removed from the selection process. With Canales’ job security seemingly safe for the moment, the team must use and move around the resources they have through cap space and draft capital to build and develop talent with the pieces they have.

With Pro Bowl defensive lineman Derrick Brown out for the season, the team may have only one true blue-chip player in cornerback Jaycee Horn. Now, the Panthers will head into their road trip to Las Vegas with a new starting quarterback and more questions than answers to the state of the roster.

The team already has a solid offensive line that has given Young time in the pocket to throw, along with skilled players who know how to get open and can create after the catch. There is a chance Dalton could put up better numbers and tape than Young ever did last season, but only time will tell.

Although some may think he doesn’t belong in the league after today, Young is still a talented player. Perhaps the grass could be greener elsewhere. (Just ask Baker Mayfield and Sam Darnold.)

But it seems as though it’s the beginning of the end of the “Bryce Age” in Carolina.

Hang in there, Panthers fans. It’s going to be a long road ahead, and it’ll probably be a bumpy one.

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Panthers QB Andy Dalton talks about replacing Bryce Young as starter

Panthers QB Andy Dalton is excited for the opportunity to start under center once again.

Out with the new and in with the old!

On Monday, Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales confirmed his decision to bench struggling second-year quarterback Bryce Young after just two weeks of regular-season play. In Young’s stead will be 14th-year veteran Andy Dalton, who talked about his updated role this afternoon.

“Yeah, I’m really excited for this opportunity,” he told reporters. “When I came here, I wasn’t sure if I was gonna get another opportunity to start again. And so, I’m really looking forward to it. I’m excited about what’s ahead.”

Unfortunately, what’s ahead isn’t too exciting for Young—who has been bumped after just 18 starts in the NFL. Those 18 starts have resulted in a 2-16 mark for the Panthers, who selected the former Heisman Trophy winner with the first overall pick of the 2023 draft.

So Dalton also spoke on the rough side of the decision.

“It’s a tough situation,” he added. “I’ve been on both sides of it, and it’s hard on everybody.”

Dalton replaced Young under some different circumstances in Carolina’s Week 3 matchup against the Seattle Seahawks last season, when the rookie was dealing with an ankle injury. The three-time Pro Bowler tossed for 361 yards and two touchdowns in the 37-27 loss.

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Former sub-.500 Cowboys QB is somehow starting in NFL again after No. 1 draft pick benched

After one year of mop-up duty in a lost season in Dallas, Andy Dalton has bounced around the league and continues to find starter’s work. | From @KDDrummondNFL

Andy Dalton, come on down!

The Carolina Panthers have a new head coach in 2024. Hired because of how well he did in the Baker Mayfield reclamation project in Tampa Bay, Dave Canales has apparently already seen enough out of Bryce Young. The 2023 No. 1 overall selection out of Alabama, who the franchise traded their 2024 first-round pick and a star receiver away in order to draft, is now out. Dalton is in.

https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1835737829923491918

Dalton, the former starter in Cincinnati with the Bengals, was an injury fill-in for the Cowboys back in 2020 when starter Dak Prescott went out with a horrific leg injury after just five starts. Dalton led the Cowboys to a 4-5 record, and famously inspired very little loyalty from his troops in Dallas.

Dalton was absolutely shredded on a slide in a game against Washington in late October that season with a diabolical hit to the head. Not a single teammate raised much of a fuss with the opposition over the hit.

https://twitter.com/jonmachota/status/1320442270676668417

When Dalton was signed in the 2020 offseason, stop reading if you’ve heard this before, some disgruntled fans thought he should replace Prescott as a starter. He threw for 2,170 yards with 14 touchdowns against 8 interceptions in the 10 games he was a legit part of.

Prescott of course signed the following offseason despite the injury to a deal worth $40 million a year.

That mantle has since been passed on to first Cooper Rush and then Trey Lance, and Prescott has since signed a new deal now worth $60 million a season.

Following 2020, Dalton spent a year with the New Orleans Saints (6-8) and another with the Chicago Bears (3-3) before latching on with the Panthers last year. He went 0-1 in 2023 and is now going to be the starter for the foreseeable future.

In his time with the Bengals he accrued a 70-61-2 record as a starter, being named to the Pro Bowl as a rookie in 2011 and again in 2014 and 2016.

Pulling the plug just two games into the season for a second-year quarterback seems a bit premature for Canales. Dalton certainly gives the club a better chance to win, and a better chance to evaluate the rest of the team, but pretending like a roster missing talent at every level is a marginal starter away from competing seems a bit reactionary.

Panthers ‘probably’ making more adjustments to roster moving forward

In addition to the benching of QB Bryce Young, Panthers HC Dave Canales says he expects more adjustments to be made to the team’s roster.

Bryce Young may not be the only Carolina Panther with a warm tushy after Week 2.

On Monday, the team announced their decision to bench the struggling second-year quarterback in favor of 36-year-old veteran Andy Dalton. Young, who turned in a disappointing rookie campaign as the 2023 No. 1 overall pick, has gotten off to a sour start in 2024—as he’s passed for just 245 yards, no touchdowns and three interceptions over two weeks.

Head coach Dave Canales talked about the decision with reporters this afternoon.

“A lot of factors that go into it, for this decision,” he stated. “And ultimately, it just kinda lands on my shoulders to be able to make the best decision for our group to give us our chance, our best chance to win this week. And we focus on the weeks, we focus on the challenge at hand. And we feel like Andy gives us our best chance to meet the challenge.”

Young, however, hasn’t been the only issue with the 0-2 Panthers.

Canales would later be asked if he sees any more adjustments being made moving forward.

“Probably,” he replied. “Every single week—we’re evaluating our roster, we’re challenging all spots, we’re looking to just be as competitive as possible. And that’s the part that we owe, again, to everybody—is to really continue to evaluate who we have out there, who can help us.”

Along with a dud of an offense, one that’s produced all of one touchdown and two successful third-down conversions thus far, Carolina is fielding an awfully generous defense. After Sunday’s 26-3 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, the Panthers are allowing the most points per game (36.5) and the second-most rushing yards per game (199.5).

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Panthers bench Bryce Young, turn to former Saints QB Andy Dalton

The Carolina Panthers have benched Bryce Young and turned to former Saints quarterback Andy Dalton. He’ll start in Week 3 and potentially beyond:

https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1835737829923491918

The Carolina Panthers have decided to go a different direction at the quarterback position after a tough start to the season for Bryce Young. They will now be starting former New Orleans Saints quarterback Andy Dalton for Week 3, and potentially beyond. The Panthers will visit the Las Vegas Raiders next, on Sept. 22.

Young has had a tumultuous first 18 games in his NFL career, going 2-16 in the games he started with 3,122 passing yards and 11 passing touchdowns against 13 interceptions, worth a 33.4 quarterback rating.

One of the last games he played before this benching was the Panthers’ 47-10 loss to the Saints in Week 1, in which Young went 13 for 30 with 161 yards (5.4 yards per attempt) and 2 interceptions without a touchdown, which yielded a 12.2 QBR. He was also sacked 4 times for a loss of 26 yards, and has been sacked 68 times for 518 yards in his career (on 10.45% of his dropbacks) which is also worth noting.

Ultimately this was a quick decision, as Young had very little opportunity to really grow under new head coach Dave Canales, and will now have to work to take that opportunity back from the veteran journeyman. Dalton unexpectedly started 14 games for the Saints in 2022 (in which they went 6-8) after replacing an injured Jameis Winston, completing 252 of his 378 passes for 2,871 yards (7.6 yards per attempt) with 18 touchdowns against 9 interceptions. He was sacked 25 times. In his career Dalton has started 163 games but he has a 83-78-2 record. We’ll see if he remains the starter when the Saints visit Carolina on Nov. 3.

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Panthers HC Dave Canales asked if David Tepper played a role in decision to bench Bryce Young

Panthers HC Dave Canales when asked if owner David Tepper was in on the decision to bench QB Bryce Young: “I wanna keep that private.”

Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales hasn’t kept his close relationship with owner David Tepper much of a secret. But he still doesn’t plan on divulging many, if any details about their interactions—especially today.

On Monday, Canales announced the team’s decision to bench second-year quarterback Bryce Young. Young, who will give way to veteran Andy Dalton beginning in Week 3, has struggled to start the 2024 season—as he’s passed for just 245 yards, no touchdowns and three interceptions over two blowout losses.

When taking questions, Canales was asked if Tepper had any role in the move.

“I wanna keep that private,” Canales replied. “What I would like to say though is this is something after I watched the film. I looked at it, had a thought, starting working on talking to the guys that we make decisions with. Certainly, a lot of parties involved there. And ultimately, this comes on me, and my No. 1 responsibility is to help the Panthers win. And so this move, I believe, puts us in the best chance to do that this week.”

Tepper, of course, has garnered quite the reputation of being a bit hands-on as an owner. He helped complete perhaps the biggest move in franchise history last spring, when they traded up to the 2023 draft’s No. 1 overall pick in a massive deal with the Chicago Bears.

Unfortunately, that investment has failed to pay off. The Panthers have gone 2-16 in games started by Young, who is now averaging 173.4 passing yards per game with 11 touchdowns and 13 interceptions in his NFL career.

Canales told reporters that he spoke with coaches as well as president of football operations/general manager Dan Morgan and executive vice president of football operations Brandt Tilis before making the decision.

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