Tag: Andy Dalton

Dante Fowler Jr. with pick-six off Andy Dalton for Commanders

The Commanders had an early pick-six against the Panthers

The Carolina Panthers have enough problems without their opponents scoring defensive touchdowns.

Less than four minutes into Sunday’s game, Dante Fowler Jr. picked off Andy Dalton and returned it 67 yards for a touchdown.

The Washington Commanders added a field goal and led 10-0 late in the first quarter

Panthers fans react to Andy Dalton’s awful pick-6 vs. Commanders

Panthers QB Andy Dalton threw one of the most head-scratching passes you’ll see all day.

The Carolina Panthers were moving on their first drive of the afternoon against the Washington Commanders . . . until they weren’t.

Sunday started with a pretty solid drive for the visiting Panthers, who trekked up to the Commanders’ 25-yard line less than four minutes into the game. But on a third-and-9, quarterback Andy Dalton—on an attempted screen pass to running back Miles Sanders—all but handed the ball to Washington linebacker Dante Fowler Jr.

Fowler Jr. then took the easy pick for a 67-yard house call, helping give the Commanders a (somewhat) shocking 7-0 lead at the 11:14 mark of the first quarter.

Needless to say, Panthers fans weren’t very happy . . .

[lawrence-related id=705311,705179,705301]

Is it time for the Panthers to go back to starting Bryce Young over Andy Dalton?

As the 1-5 Panthers continue to fall out of contention, is it now time to give the reins back to QB Bryce Young?

For the second time in their last three outings, the Carolina Panthers suffered by the hand of imbalanced football. This past Sunday saw the visiting Atlanta Falcons run all over Bank of America Stadium en route to a 38-20 victory.

But it’s not the same imbalance that we’re used to seeing.

Dissimilar to 2023, when the anemic offense would regularly let down the solid defense, it’s the awfully generous defense that’s letting down the growing offense. Nonetheless, the bright side is still not bright enough for some.

As the 1-5 Panthers continue to struggle, a new debate has arisen amongst fans—one that stems back to the team’s biggest move of the season thus far. Should there be a switch under center yet again?

Head coach Dave Canales, at the beginning of Week 3, made a brave decision to bench last year’s No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young in favor of 14th-year veteran Andy Dalton. And it’s paid off for the offense, which has appeared more stable under a capable passing game and a productive ground attack.

Since Dalton became the starting quarterback, Carolina has averaged 22.5 points per contest while converting on 40.8 percent (20-for-49) of their third-down attempts. That’s quite difference from the 6.5 points and 0.1 percent (two-for-22) under Young.

The argument to play Young, however, has emanated from what’s going on with the other side of the ball. The largely-injured and undermanned Panthers defense has allowed a league-high 33.8 points a game, and is currently on pace to give up the most points in franchise history.

If the campaign is pretty much lost to this point, shouldn’t the organization try to find out if Young can still be a franchise quarterback? Considering the king’s ransom they gave up for him, shouldn’t Carolina want to get another look at the 23-year-old before making (or not making) another choice at the position?

Well, while it may be premature to give up on a talented second-year player after just 18 starts, we must remind ourselves of what Young looked like in the first two weeks of the season. He showed no pretense of confidence as a passer.

Young was also not seeing the field well and had very little trust in an offensive line that had given him clean looks. When he did have time to throw, Young bailed from his pockets and threw some ghastly interceptions.

From Canales’ perspective—he needed to decide not just for the offense, but for team’s performance as a whole. He needed to establish the trust of the locker room and raise the morale.

There is no doubt that the Panthers offense has been moving more consistently since Dalton took the reins—as he’s had answers against pressure, played on time and in rhythm and displayed the composure that was missing from the spot to begin the season. The skill players trust him, something that is critical between the signal-caller and his playmakers.

This isn’t to say the players don’t trust Young. But it’s difficult to ignore the response from this group of men.

Dalton is who he is as a player. He will miss at times and have some ill-advised tosses that turn into big plays for the opponent.

What’s important here is that he is displaying general steadiness and rhythm in the passing game. The clip above shows an example of a quarterback who keeps his eyes up when working off-structure, with the ability to quickly reset and drive throws downfield.

Here is another example of Dalton displaying ball placement and general accuracy:

This seam throw was well-layered and accurate into the void against zone coverage. We didn’t see much of this when Young was on the field this year.

Again, the choice for Canales was between allowing Young to continue to digress and drag down the unit or roll with Dalton to ignite any semblance of a functional passing game. Starting Young because “the season is over” is not a good process entering Week 7.

The Panthers have yet to be mathematically eliminated from the playoffs—and until they are, it’s more likely than not that Dalton will remain the team’s starter. Flip-flopping between quarterbacks does nothing to help instill the culture Canales is attempting to establish in Carolina.

This isn’t to say that Young shouldn’t start for Carolina down the line. Dalton could have a bad stretch of games that just might force Canales’ hand yet again.

Until that happens, this is Dalton’s team until it isn’t. He has shown he can drive the offense downfield for scores and give the team the best chance to win each week.

The argument for both sides is understandable from the idea of roster construction and development. Canales and the Panthers, however, must continue to roll with what’s working best on offense—and starting Dalton works best on offense, at least for now.

[lawrence-related id=705094,705081,705025]

Panthers QB Andy Dalton’s 2nd INT in Week 6 came with some hilariously bad timing

Panthers QB Andy Dalton didn’t do Mark Sanchez and the FOX broadcast booth any favors with his second interception in Week 6.

Carolina Panthers quarterback Andy Dalton had not one, but two unfortunately-timed interceptions in yesterday’s loss to the Atlanta Falcons.

The first was much more consequential to the football game itself, as Dalton all but crushed his team’s hopes at a comeback early in the fourth quarter. With the Panthers down 28-20 from the Falcons’ 28-yard line, the 14th-year veteran tried to squeeze a second-down pass in to tight end Ian Thomas—only to be picked off by cornerback A.J. Terrell.

The second was actually quite funny.

With the outcome pretty much wrapped up at the 1:55 mark of the fourth quarter, FOX play-by-play commentator Chris Myers asked analyst Mark Sanchez for his thoughts on the future of benched second-year quarterback Bryce Young. And right when Sanchez sets up a compliment for Dalton, the 36-year-old gets jumped for his second turnover . . .

Dalton finished the 38-20 defeat with 221 passing yards, two touchdowns and the pair of picks.

[lawrence-related id=705014,704997,704989]

Panthers HC Dave Canales is asked who will start at QB in Week 7

After another not-so-great start for Andy Dalton on Sunday, are the Panthers planning on going back to Bryce Young in Week 7?

Are the Carolina Panthers already putting their Red Rifle away? Well, head coach Dave Canales doesn’t seem intent on it quite yet.

Canales spoke with reporters following his team’s Week 6 loss to Atlanta Falcons—one where quarterback Andy Dalton was, for the second straight outing, a bit off. The 14th-year veteran threw a pair of ill-advised interceptions while averaging just 5.8 yards per attempt in the 38-20 defeat.

So, Canales was asked if Dalton is still his guy moving forward.

“Yes, Andy will be playing against the Commanders this next week,” he replied.

Coupled with last week’s visit to Chicago, Dalton has averaged just 178.5 passing yards and 5.4 yards per throw with two touchdowns and three picks over his last two games. While not completely ineffective, the current version of the 36-year-old is a far cry from what we saw in his triumphant Week 3 performance about a month ago.

But, at least for now, it’s still Dalton’s spot. (Sorry, Bryce Young.)

[lawrence-related id=704968,704959,703864]

Andy Dalton bonks cameraman with errant throw

Andy Dalton missed his target but found a cameraman with an errant pass

Andy Dalton was looking to throw the pass away.

Instead, he connected … with a cameraman out of bounds during the Panthers-Falcons game on Sunday in Charlotte.

Panthers All-22 film review: Good and bad from Week 5’s loss to Bears

A few Panthers rookies made last Sunday’s loss to the Bears a little less dreadful.

The Carolina Panthers enter Week 6 off the heels of another blowout defeat. This time, they took a pretty painful 36-10 loss at the paws of the Chicago Bears.

But with the bad came a little bit of good, perhaps some that head coach Dave Canales and his team can build upon heading into Sunday’s divisional matchup against the Atlanta Falcons.

So, let’s take a look back at the All-22 film for that good (and bad) from Week 5 . . .

Jalen Coker should have a bigger role

With veteran receiver Adam Thielen still sidelined, the Panthers’ passing offense is looking for playmakers opposite of their No. 1 option in Diontae Johnson.

In Week 4, it looked like 2024 first-round pick Xavier Legette would be the one to step up—as he tallied a career-high 66 yards and his first NFL touchdown. But when he went down with a shoulder injury this past Sunday, a fellow rookie made his own case.

The undrafted Coker contributed in a big way, leading Carolina with 68 receiving yards on only four receptions. He had reliable hands at the catch point, never seemed fazed by traffic around him, showed impressive zone and spatial awareness and made himself available to the quarterback.

Furthermore, Coker offered the ability to create yards after the catch. On his first grab, he showed off ample contact balance and enough acceleration to generate an explosive play.

His route running was good, too. He understands how to attack cornerbacks’ leverage using quick and subtle movements, creating separation before his breaks and at the top of his routes.

Once his outlets were closed, Dalton seemed off the mark with his game. He was late on some throws and inaccurate on others. Dalton failed to step up in the pocket at times, inviting pressure.

This was a down game for the 36-year-old, but there were still glimpses of productivity. A rebound offering should be expected against a Falcons defense that is one of the worst in the league through five games.

Defense also struggles

Rookie linebacker Trevin Wallace filled up the stat sheet in his first career start, posting 15 tackles with 10 solo takedowns. Those numbers, however, can be misleading.

While he effectively utilized his athleticism and physicality at the point of attack, Wallace bit on play fakes often—seemingly doing more thinking than reacting at times.

The 21-year-old needs to do a better job of trusting his reads and playing fast. But even with his struggles, Wallace was still solid and flashed good flow to the ball along with great effort.

In the secondary, tackling in space proved to be a hiccup again. Improper technique led to more big plays and run-after-catch opportunities.

A miscommunication between cornerback Jaycee Horn and safety Nick Scott, where the former was attempting to pass off Bears wideout DJ Moore to the latter, led to a touchdown. This has been an issue, and they must improve their discipline here.

The Panthers’ pass rush was nonexistent against rookie quarterback Caleb Williams. Outside linebacker Charles Harris did have a sack on the first three-and-out—but otherwise, there was no pass rush plan from seemingly any of the team’s edge rushers or interior linemen. Their chests are exposed and allow offensive linemen to latch frequently, leading to very little pressure consistently.

More notes

  • Rookie tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders had two bad drops during the game and a few missed blocks. While many Panthers fans won’t like the sound of this, getting Ian Thomas back from injured reserve could be a blessing for Sanders—who wouldn’t be facing as much pressure. Thomas will add an important blocking element that could allow Canales to roll out more 12, 13, 21, and 22 personnel sets.
  • Despite injuries to the group, Carolina’s offensive line remains a formidable unit. Left tackle Ekwonu had his best game of the year with few mistakes in pass protection. He showed consistency in his sets, moved rushers out of plays and displayed accurate and well-timed punches.
  • With right tackle Taylor Moton out this weekend, backup Yosh Nijman is set to take the start this Sunday. Nijman looked impressive, even after an early struggle against Bears edge rusher Darrell Taylor. He improved his first step with each rep and was able to slow the speedy pass rusher down. Nijman has good reactive athleticism to mirror and match displaying a smooth anchor, showcasing the ability to reset his base and hands to counters.
  • Also out is center Austin Corbett, who is done for the year after tearing his biceps. Brady Christensen, who took over for Corbett on Sunday, remains a great five-spot reserve lineman. He displayed excellent reactive/functional athleticism and flexibility at center while generating movement at the line of scrimmage. His hand placement is sufficient and he does an adequate job of resetting his base. Christensen did whiff on a block against a slanting interior defensive lineman Andrew Billings early in the fourth quarter. Otherwise, he has good short-area quickness and second-level ability at center.

[lawrence-related id=704808,704711,704709]

As of now, Coker appears to be much more of an effective weapon than his teammate Jonathan Mingo—who played 80 percent of the offensive snaps in Week 4 and 68.3 percent in Week 5. So perhaps it’s time for the Holy Cross standout to cut into that share.

Andy Dalton struggles

Dalton has brought a vertical element to the air that the Panthers offense had been missing for quite some time. And while there were still examples of that on Sunday, the 14th-year veteran turned in his worst outing of the campaign.

The Bears were excellent defensively, playing a lot of Cover 2 and Cover 1 man. The Panthers didn’t see much separation from their playmakers, and even Dalton’s checkdown outlets in the vertical passing game were sealed tight.

Once his outlets were closed, Dalton seemed off the mark with his game. He was late on some throws and inaccurate on others. Dalton failed to step up in the pocket at times, inviting pressure.

This was a down game for the 36-year-old, but there were still glimpses of productivity. A rebound offering should be expected against a Falcons defense that is one of the worst in the league through five games.

Defense also struggles

Rookie linebacker Trevin Wallace filled up the stat sheet in his first career start, posting 15 tackles with 10 solo takedowns. Those numbers, however, can be misleading.

While he effectively utilized his athleticism and physicality at the point of attack, Wallace bit on play fakes often—seemingly doing more thinking than reacting at times.

The 21-year-old needs to do a better job of trusting his reads and playing fast. But even with his struggles, Wallace was still solid and flashed good flow to the ball along with great effort.

In the secondary, tackling in space proved to be a hiccup again. Improper technique led to more big plays and run-after-catch opportunities.

A miscommunication between cornerback Jaycee Horn and safety Nick Scott, where the former was attempting to pass off Bears wideout DJ Moore to the latter, led to a touchdown. This has been an issue, and they must improve their discipline here.

The Panthers’ pass rush was nonexistent against rookie quarterback Caleb Williams. Outside linebacker Charles Harris did have a sack on the first three-and-out—but otherwise, there was no pass rush plan from seemingly any of the team’s edge rushers or interior linemen. Their chests are exposed and allow offensive linemen to latch frequently, leading to very little pressure consistently.

More notes

  • Rookie tight end Ja’Tavion Sanders had two bad drops during the game and a few missed blocks. While many Panthers fans won’t like the sound of this, getting Ian Thomas back from injured reserve could be a blessing for Sanders—who wouldn’t be facing as much pressure. Thomas will add an important blocking element that could allow Canales to roll out more 12, 13, 21, and 22 personnel sets.
  • Despite injuries to the group, Carolina’s offensive line remains a formidable unit. Left tackle Ekwonu had his best game of the year with few mistakes in pass protection. He showed consistency in his sets, moved rushers out of plays and displayed accurate and well-timed punches.
  • With right tackle Taylor Moton out this weekend, backup Yosh Nijman is set to take the start this Sunday. Nijman looked impressive, even after an early struggle against Bears edge rusher Darrell Taylor. He improved his first step with each rep and was able to slow the speedy pass rusher down. Nijman has good reactive athleticism to mirror and match displaying a smooth anchor, showcasing the ability to reset his base and hands to counters.
  • Also out is center Austin Corbett, who is done for the year after tearing his biceps. Brady Christensen, who took over for Corbett on Sunday, remains a great five-spot reserve lineman. He displayed excellent reactive/functional athleticism and flexibility at center while generating movement at the line of scrimmage. His hand placement is sufficient and he does an adequate job of resetting his base. Christensen did whiff on a block against a slanting interior defensive lineman Andrew Billings early in the fourth quarter. Otherwise, he has good short-area quickness and second-level ability at center.

[lawrence-related id=704808,704711,704709]

Panthers’ Dave Canales finding balance as both coach and play-caller

Panthers HC Dave Canales isn’t in an easy position.

After a pair of positive performances—one a dominant win against the Las Vegas Raiders and the other a competitive defeat to the Cincinnati Bengals—the Carolina Panthers turned out an embarrassing showing in their 36-10 loss to the Chicago Bears this past Sunday. The outing lacked complementary football and discipline, and felt like a setback of sorts.

This weekend’s offering, however, did not lack questions—some of which point back to the coaching staff. While fans may be especially miffed over losing to the team that “fleeced” theirs in their massively consequential trade for last year’s No. 1 overall pick, the frustration is fair—and it starts with head coach Dave Canales.

The first-time head coach made his intentions of establishing the run quite clear this offseason. In fact, he stated that he was “excited” to show how stubborn he could be in doing so.

His philosophy has broken through at times. Carolina’s offense seemingly has quite a strength in running back Chuba Hubbard, whose 393 rushing yards currently rank fifth in the NFL.

But if Hubbard received more than just 13 carries in Chicago? He certainly warranted it after dicing up the Bears defense for 97 yards and a touchdown, no?

Canales’ play-calling or play choices in certain situations have been inconsistent in three of the Panthers’ four losses. His “stubbornness” to run the football has not been there at times.

Yes, Carolina has been forced to throw the ball more often than not in these situations—but that doesn’t mean they should be moving off what was working. He did make some fair points about not being able to convert the third-and-manageable, which are third downs with about five to six yards or less to go from moving the chains.

There were, though, times at the beginning of drives when the Panthers would lean into the passing game to find an explosive play. The Bears were a man-heavy team Sunday, and blanketed outlets for quarterback Andy Dalton.

Again, it’s more than understandable to throw the ball when down multiple scores, but there were too many missed opportunities for that inflexibility to lend itself to the running game.

The offense should’ve stuck with what was working—the ground attack. The offensive line was consistently creating rushing lanes for Hubbard, who picked up chunk yards touch after touch.

Canales also garnered some heat for his decision to play backup quarterback Bryce Young in the waning moments of the contest. His reasoning for the move was to protect Dalton from an offensive line that got battered with injuries in the second half.

“We had a couple of injuries on the offensive line and wanted to get [Young] there to get some live reps, and he did a fantastic job,” Canales said. “Playing with energy, extending plays, and finding some completions down the field. It’s a hard situation, but at that point, with the different things happening on the offensive line, you know, I wanted to get Andy out of there.”

While Canales did clarify his statement on Monday, it put the team’s quarterback situation back in the forefront—especially after Young flashed in the final offensive series.

As a first-time head coach and second-year play-caller in the NFL, Canales is in a very difficult spot. He is navigating a roster that is both depleted of talent and dealing with long-term injuries to standout players while bearing the responsibility of putting his offense in the right position to succeed.

Canales must work to find a balance as a coach and play-caller. And there may come a time when he hands the latter title to offensive coordinator Brad Idzik.

But for now, even in some rough waters, he’ll stay the course.

[lawrence-related id=704694,704649,704645]

Saints have struggled in prime-time games in the Dennis Allen era

Dennis Allen is 1-5 in night games as Saints head coach. He’s looking for Win No. 2 against Patrick Mahomes in prime time:

The New Orleans Saints haven’t been much of a national commodity since Drew Brees and Sean Payton left. That has been reflected in the amount of primetime games.

The Saints also haven’t performed well in the night games they’ve been given. Dennis Allen is still looking for his second win in prime time as the team’s head coach after going 1-5 the last two years.

To get his second win, he and Klint Kubiak will have to go through the Kansas City Chiefs. The defending Super Bowl champions feature Andy Reid, Patrick Mahomes, and Travis Kelce on offense and Steve Spagnuolo, Nick Bolton, Chris Jones, and Trent McDuffie. The Saints have an equally difficult task on both sides.

The Saints have had impressive wins under Allen, but they typically disappoint in primetime. The only victory came against the Carolina Panthers the year they had the worst record in the NFL.

Let’s repeat that: Allen is 1-5 in night games over the last two seasons. There have been really deflating losses in that bunch. The Saints looked putrid against the Cardinals, when Allen was infamously quoted as telling Andy Dalton “to keep doing what he’s doing” despite throwing a pick-six before halftime.

Then the last time they played in prime time, the Saints set out to prove they could beat a quality team in the Los Angeles Rams. They failed miserably. The situation feels similar to now. The Saints are aiming to prove what kind of team they are. Let’s hope the outcome is different.

[lawrence-auto-related count=5]

Panthers coach Dave Canales had the funniest logic for giving Bryce Young playing time in blowout loss

The Panthers’ explanation for Bryce Young appearing in garbage time is so awkward.

In case it wasn’t already clear, the Carolina Panthers are beyond done with the Bryce Young era. Yes, I’m aware they benched him, but there was still the faint possibility they could’ve always thrown him back into the mix on a rebuilding team while he rebuilds his confidence.

Judging by Dave Canales’s comments about Young appearing in garbage time during Sunday’s blowout loss to the Chicago Bears, I don’t think that’s going to happen.

When asked about the decision to pull new starter Andy Dalton and give Young some late burn, Canales clarified that it was partly because the Panthers didn’t want Dalton to get beat up behind a hurting offensive line.

Oh, OK. That’s right. The Panthers are thinking about preserving Dalton’s health first for a long season, Young second. Oh man:

I don’t think I need to remind anyone that if the other guy is getting benched just to save him for 12 more games, that’s not a good sign for the former No. 1 overall pick.

In not-so-certain terms, the Panthers have no plans for Bryce Young.