The Carolina Panthers' controversial decision to shelve franchise quarterback Bryce Young in Week 3 in favor of grizzled veteran Andy Dalton couldn't have worked out much better.
On the first possession of his season debut, Dalton conducted a nine-play, 70-yard drive that culminated in a six-yard touchdown pass to running back Chuba Hubbard for a 7–0 advantage—the first lead for Carolina this season. At halftime, the Panthers led 21–7, scoring eight more points than they did over the first two weeks of the season combined.
The Panthers went on to beat the Las Vegas Raiders 36–22 for their first win since Dec. 17, 2023. It was the Panthers' first win while scoring more than 20 points since Dec. 24, 2022, a 37–23 victory over the Detroit Lions.
Dalton starred for Carolina all game, throwing for 319 yards and three touchdowns on 26-of-37 passing, good for a 123.6 passer rating. He's the first—and only—quarterback this season to throw for at least 300 yards and three touchdowns in a single game.
For context, there were 14 games of at least 300 yards passing and three touchdowns over the first three weeks of the 2018 NFL season.
There is ONE player in the NFL this season with 300 Pass Yards and 3 Pass TD in a single game
— NFL on CBS 🏈 (@NFLonCBS) September 22, 2024
Andy Dalton pic.twitter.com/Gs9qdViqyD
In Week 1 this season, Tua Tagovailoa and Matthew Stafford were the only two quarterbacks to throw for over 300 yards, but both connected on just one score apiece. Geno Smith, Brock Purdy and Jared Goff passed the 300-yard mark in Week 2 but combined to throw just two scores.
Heading into the Monday Night Football doubleheader, four quarterbacks—Dalton, Dak Prescott, Caleb Williams and Jalen Hurts—threw for 300+ yards in Week 3 but only the "Red Rifle" tacked on three passing touchdowns to that stat line.
A pretty impressive debut, to say the least.
With one win under his belt, Dalton will assuredly retain the starting job under center in Week 4 when the Panthers host the Cincinnati Bengals at Bank of America Stadium.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Andy Dalton Owns a Stat That No Other NFL QB Has Produced This Season.
