Panthers lose, but there’s a different vibe since Andy Dalton replaced Bryce Young –– The Athletic

[MRenshaw]

The bolded paragraph basically confirms that our players know what most fans have also known for quite sometime: Bryce is the problem.

 

Panthers lose, but there’s a different vibe since Andy Dalton replaced Bryce Young

Joseph Person

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — When Joe Burrow and a desperate Cincinnati Bengals team were putting up touchdowns quicker than department store Christmas displays in late September, you figured the Carolina Panthers were headed toward Blowout City.

Down 31-14 late in the third quarter, another Panthers team — like the one from a few weeks ago — would have folded up, eaten a 30-point loss and tried to beat the traffic out of Bank of America Stadium.

Instead, the Panthers scored on consecutive possessions, handed Burrow his first interception of the season and pulled within a touchdown midway through the fourth quarter. And while the Panthers didn’t hand Burrow a fourth loss to start the season, they at least kept things competitive Sunday before falling 34-24.

And when you’re coming off a 2-15 season and just benched last year’s No. 1 pick two games into this one, that will have to suffice.

“I don’t call it a moral victory. A loss is a loss,” cornerback Jaycee Horn said. “But at the end of the day, you could feel the vibe that we’re getting better as a team. Can’t deny that. We’re gonna find a way to shake back and go out there next week and get a dub.”

Carolina coach Dave Canales speaks with QB Andy Dalton during the game Sunday as Bryce Young looks on. (Bob Donnan / Imagn Images_

The most obvious difference is at quarterback, where Andy Dalton wasn’t as on-point as he was in Vegas but still turned in a “solid day” at the office, as first-year coach Dave Canales called it. Canales isn’t asking Dalton to do too much: Get the Panthers in the right play, try to hit the first read and don’t put the ball in jeopardy.

Whether it’s lingering effects from his 62-sack rookie season or something else, those are things Bryce Young wasn’t doing as the Panthers started 0-2 while being outscored 73-13. And when the quarterback isn’t playing well, it has a way of sucking the energy out of an entire organization.

But there was a different feeling Sunday at Bank of America Stadium, where the Panthers went toe-to-toe with an AFC team that has a franchise quarterback and playoff expectations. Also of note: No fans were seen with bags over their heads or heard chanting for the owner to sell the team.

Progress.

“I think something flipped,” right guard Robert Hunt said. “We’re just trying to win some games. Guys are clicking. We never felt out of it today. We were saying the whole time, ‘We’re about to go down and win this game.’ Unfortunately, it didn’t go our way.”

What flipped is the quarterback, though players don’t want to call out Young because they like him and voted him a team captain less than a month ago. Plus, they might need him if something in Dalton’s 36-year-old body stretches or snaps the way it did Sunday for veteran linebackers Shaq Thompson and Josey Jewell.

But Canales has indicated he plans to ride Dalton as long as he’s producing, much like rookie receiver Xavier Legette rode his imaginary horse — inspired by his actual horse named Dolla Bill — back to the sideline Sunday following his first career touchdown.

Legette’s performance against the Bengals personified where the Panthers (1-3) are nearly a quarter of a season into the Canales/Dan Morgan era. The former South Carolina wideout, drafted with the last pick in the first round, caught six passes (matching his total from the first three games) for 66 yards and the TD. But he also had two of the handful of drops by Panthers receivers and tight ends, a couple of which came in key spots (Diontae Johnson in the end zone on the first drive; Feleipe Franks on a fake punt that would have extended a drive).

The roster might not be teeming with Pro Bowlers, but there is talent here. Like Legette, it’s about cleaning up the details.

“I wouldn’t really say it’s a healthy loss because the two drops that I had, that’s the difference between winning and losing,” Legette said. “If I would have made those plays, we would have been able to stay on the field and maybe get a touchdown to win the game.”

GO DEEPER

Bengals top Panthers 34-24 for first win of season: Takeaways

There were other examples of those little things that usually separate the winners and losers on Sundays:

• Shoddy tackling on a pair of Cincinnati touchdown receptions, including a pitiful showing on a Ja’Marr Chase 63-yarder in which Xavier Woods, Charles Harris and Troy Hill all whiffed.

• The offensive line failing to deliver Chuba Hubbard into the end zone on three tries from 2 yards or closer (sandwiched around that fade to Johnson on second-and-goal).

• Pass rushers that never sacked Burrow and barely made him sweat, the one exception being a Jadeveon Clowney pressure that forced Burrow into a poor throw that Woods intercepted.

• Nick Thurman jumping offside on third-and-4 after the Panthers had climbed back within a TD.

• All those drops, including two deep balls that ticked off Johnson’s fingertips.

“I’ve just gotta have those, gotta come down with those,” Johnson said. “It comes down to the details. What could I have done better to get more separation or (win) at the catch point?”

The sooner the Panthers hammer out the fine points, the better. Because while there are some upcoming games they could steal, beginning next weekend in Chicago, the post-Munich portion of the schedule could get ugly, especially if the injury news on Thompson is bad.

In the meantime, the uber-positive Canales will keep preaching process … and progress. That was his message Sunday.

“For me just talking to the team, encouraged that our football continues to improve,” he said. “But we’ve gotta finish and we have to execute. And it all starts with me as the head coach.”

It starts with the head coach and the quarterback. And if nothing else, the Panthers are in better shape than they were two weeks ago.

Dalton was a workmanlike 25-of-40 for 220 yards with two touchdowns and an interception. The pick came in the first half when Trey Hendrickson beat Ikem Ekwonu and hit Dalton’s arm as he was releasing. It also looked like Dalton could have stepped up more in the pocket; Canales said he’d have to see the film.

Like many of his teammates, Dalton said the mojo around the team is different, even if it didn’t result in a win Sunday.

“I definitely feel it. I think just what this team has been through the last several years, I mean, we were in this game until the very end,” Dalton said. “I think for us, it’s like, all right, how can we change that? When we get to be in these moments where we have a chance to win — go drive down and win the game.”

(Top photo of Diontae Johnson: Matt Kelley / Getty Images)

Edited 17 hours ago by MRenshaw

[Jaxel]

Well, if anything was a winnable game, it's the next one. The Bears defense is tough, but their offense, particularly Williams can be shut down. Just got to get some pressure on him.

[travisura]

We're starting to rebuild the culture. It's too early in the process to be making declarative statements, but so far the signs are promising.

[Gapanthersfan]

You can lose but not feel like a loser. This is where we are now. ‘Winner’ and ‘loser’ is a mindset. We swapped 1 person before the cancer had a chance to metastasize. 

[strato]

Quote

 “I think for us, it’s like, all right, how can we change that? When we get to be in these moments where we have a chance to win — go drive down and win the game.”

That's farther along than I thought I would see this year.

[Manna]

7 hours ago, Jaxel said:

Just got to get some pressure on him.

that's not been a strength of our defense so far =/ 

[Dave Gettleman's Shorts]

12 hours ago, MRenshaw said:

Plus, they might need him if something in Dalton’s 36-year-old body stretches or snaps the way it did Sunday for veteran linebackers Shaq Thompson and Josey Jewell.

 

was this line necessary ?

[TheSpecialJuan]

Joe Person is a punk bitch 

[Basbear]

The comeback factor.........if BY is your QB and you are down but 7 points that might as well be a three score mountain. 

 

Dalton at least gives the hope of getting the lead back. 

Edited 4 hours ago by Basbear

[frankw]

Andy Dalton might not be the guy I envisioned leading the team at this point in time a year ago but I'm damn sure thankful to have him given the circumstances. I'll take this competitive football and team vibe over what transpired the first 2 weeks of the season and most of last season with that other guy 10 times out of 10.

[Gapanthersfan]

We now have someone who can walk the walk, and the entire team knows it. 

[Gapanthersfan]

Bro is also putting millions in Johnson’s bank account. Can you imagine how he felt after game 2? 

[Jackie Lee]

12 minutes ago, Gapanthersfan said:

We now have someone who can walk the walk, and the entire team knows it. 

It's wild he's not a captain, he seems like the true leader of the team especially with the injuries. He also obviously just loves playing the game and isn't taking the opportunity for granted after sitting on the bench the last year