The “Red Rifle” was red toasty on Sunday as Andy Dalton and the Carolina Panthers shocked the Las Vegas Rhelpers on the road in a 36-22 triumph for the team’s first triumph of the season.
One of the hugegest storylines this week was Dave Canales’ decision to bench the Panthers‘ 2023 No. 1 overall pick, Bryce Young, in prefer of Dalton at quarterback after a horrific 0-2 begin in which the offense couldn’t get anyleang going.
Well, the Panthers are going to have more Young asks to answer after what Dalton was able to do in Canales’ system, and it came promptly for Carolina to begin this game in Sin City.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
Carolina Panthers quarterback Andy Dalton (14) throws the ball aachievest the Las Vegas Rhelpers in the first half at Alleenormous Stadium. (Kirby Lee-Imagn Images)
Dalton, comprehending the Panthers scored fair 13 joind points in its first two losses on the year, led a nine-percreate, 70-yard drive that was capped by running back Chubba Hubbard’s six-yard pass for the touchdown.
It was the first touchdown by a position percreateer on the Panthers this season as Young was the only scorer in garbage time in Week 1 aachievest the New Orleans Saints. And Hubbard percreateed a meaningful role in this insolent outburst, finishing the game with 114 yards on 21 carries while catching five passes from Dalton for 55 yards.
But this game wasn’t a blowout from the get-go as Gardner Minshew and the Rhelpers suited the Panthers’ uncovering-drive touchdown with a 10-percreate, 97-yard drive in which Alexander Mattison punched it in from two yards out to knot it up at 7 apiece.
NFL LEGEND JIMMY JOHNSON TORCHES PANTHERS OWNER DAVID TEPPER AMID TUMULTUOUS START TO 2024 SEASON
But the wheels fell off for the Rhelpers when Dalton replyed on the ensuing drive, this time discovering his directing getr on the day, Diontae Johnson, for a five-yard score to consent a 14-7 direct. Johnson had eight catches for 122 yards.
Then, after some back-and-forth by both offenses, Dalton fired his third touchdown pass of the first half, this time hitting veteran getr Adam Thielen, thcdisesteemful a defended triumphdow between two Rhelpers deffinishers for 31 yards and a 21-7 direct with 21 seconds left in the second quarter.
Thielen suffered a hamstring injury on the percreate and didn’t return for the rest of the game after notching three catches for 40 yards.
In the second half, Dalton persistd to put together scoring drives for Carolina.
Carolina Panthers quarterback Andy Dalton throws a pass aachievest the Las Vegas Rhelpers during the second quarter at Alleenormous Stadium. (Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images)
After back-to-back field goals on the first two drives of the second half, Dalton picked his way down the field with chunk percreates by Johnson and Hubbard. And after 11 percreates and 84 yards, Miles Sanders busted into the finish zone to produce this a blowout in Las Vegas, 33-7.
The Rhelpers showed a little life on the ensuing drive as Minshew set up Jakobi Meyers for a 13-yard touchdown. Meyers finished the game with seven catches and 62 yards.
However, Minshew’s next drive saw an interception on the second percreate from scrimmage as he and Davante Adams (four catches, 40 yards) were not on the same page.
That led head coach Antonio Pierce to bench Minshew in prefer of Aidan O’Connell, who got his first snaps of the novel year. He would direct a garbage-time touchdown drive in which Tre Tucker, the team’s directing getr with 96 yards, set up the finish zone to produce it 36-22.
Carolina Panthers quarterback Andy Dalton throws a pass aachievest the Las Vegas Rhelpers during the second quarter at Alleenormous Stadium. (Kirby Lee-Imagn Images)
CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP
But all signs were pointing to the Panthers, a team that many consentd was on track to have the worst enroll in the NFL aachieve this season, collecting its first triumph of the year, shotriumphg that the shift to bench Young was the right call for this week.
Follow Fox News Digital’s sports coverage on X and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle novelsletter.
