Pro Frogs: Former TCU QB Andy Dalton turns back the clock for the Carolina Panthers

The 36-year-old led the Panthers to their first win of the season.

After nine consecutive seasons starting at quarterback for the Cincinnati Bengals, Andy Dalton has spent the past five seasons as a top-tier backup, with 31 starts peppered throughout his post-Cincinnati tenure. Following a single start a season ago for the Carolina Panthers, Dalton figured only to receive playing time if former starter and first-overall pick Bryce Young was injured or fizzled out. Unfortunately for the Panthers, it was the latter. Young passed for 161 yards and two interceptions in week one before amassing only 84 yards through the air in week two against the LA Chargers. The organization decided to bench the former Alabama standout and instead roll with the 36-year-old Dalton.

In Dalton’s second start in as many years, he led the Panthers to their first win of the season and became the first quarterback this season to pass for 300 yards and three touchdowns in a game. The Horned Frog alum began the game hot, orchestrating a nine-play, 70-yard drive capped off by a Chubba Hubbard touchdown reception. Two possessions later, the Red Rifle completed all three passes on the 10-play before tossing a perfect ball to the corner of the endzone to Diontae Johnson to put Carolina up 14-7 over the Las Vegas Raiders.

After taking a 14-7 lead in the first half, Dalton wasn’t finished. The 36-year-old quarterback received the ball back with just over a minute to go. Starting from his own 32-yard line, Dalton completed 3-of-4 passes in 44 seconds to go the length of the field. The signal caller’s touchdown pass to veteran receiver Adam Thielen may have been his best ball of the afternoon. Carolina scored 21 points or more on only four occasions last season and Dalton had already completed the feat in 30 minutes of action.

Dalton began the second half with three consecutive scoring drives. The Red Rifle led Carolina to two field goals before orchestrating an 11-play, 84 yard drive to build an insurmountable 33-7 lead in the final frame. The Panthers scored one more field goal while the Raiders managed two more touchdowns before the clock hit zero. 36 points were the most scored by Carolina since week 16 of the 2022 season. In a vintage performance, Dalton connected on 26-of-37 attempts for 319 yards and three touchdowns. The veteran quarterback recorded a passer rating of 123.6 on the day. After scoring a combined 13 points in weeks one and two, the Panthers seem to be back on the right track under the still-dynamic Dalton.

The Panthers will host Dalton’s former squad—the Bengals—on Sunday, September 29 at 12:00 p.m. CT. This will be Dalton’s fourth game against his former squad and potentially his last. Despite stepping in for the 2023 first-overall pick Bryce Young, it appears the Panthers will roll with the Red Rifle for the foreseeable future after his phenomenal week three performance.