Andy Dalton throws three touchdowns and leads the Panthers to their first win of the season after a “tough week” in Carolina

Dalton and the Panthers got off to a strong start on Sunday, scoring a touchdown on their first possession for the first time in 28 games. Dalton said after the win that he had no idea Carolina had a streak of bad luck on opening drives, which in hindsight is probably for the best.

On the day, Carolina had a balanced offense, with Dalton throwing for 319 yards and the running game, led by Chuba Hubbard, rushing for 131. The Panthers scored on seven of 11 contested possessions after scoring just 13 points in their first two games with Young at quarterback.

Dalton replaced Young as Carolina’s starting quarterback on Monday after Canales made the difficult decision to bench the 2023 top pick.

Young’s replacement is likely not permanent, however, as NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport reported Sunday that the former first-round pick is expected to return to the quarterback position this season. The 23-year-old Young is essentially sitting out a “timeout” while the experienced Dalton shows him how it’s done.

“It’s definitely been a tough week and tough on a lot of people,” Dalton said Sunday. “Bryce and I have had conversations throughout this whole thing. Those conversations remain between us.”

Canales was pleased with the first results of his decision to bench the young Young for the graying Dalton.

“Honestly, it’s exactly what I expected from him,” Canales said Sunday. “We practiced things. The receivers were in the right spots for him and he took advantage when they gave us favorable coverage to make those plays.”

For now, Dalton is enjoying the win, his first as a starter since Week 17 of the 2022 season. Next up is his former team, the Bengals, an organization he will face for the fourth time since leaving Cincinnati after the 2019 season. But it will be his first with Carolina, where Dalton is having “a lot of fun” after a year on the bench in his 14th year in the league.

“It was a big win for us, the first of the year,” Dalton said of Sunday’s victory, his 84th as a starter. “Now it’s ‘OK, let’s go.’ We know the possibilities out there. We have to play at that level.”