Young left late in the third quarter after a defender appeared to step on him. He slowly walked to the dressing room and was eventually sent off.
It’s been a rollercoaster season for Young, but he’s shown more ups than downs during the Panthers’ three-game winning streak. When he’s not turning the ball over, the former No. 1 pick has shown the ability to hold the offense in good position and grab the necessary rebounds. His touchdown pass Sunday against the Jets, buying time outside the pocket while keeping his eyes downfield and not panicking, showed the growth we’ve seen this season.
Behind a bullpen game, a much-improved defense and the tremendous play of Young, the Panthers are over .500 through seven games for the first time since 2019. That campaign quickly unraveled and Ron Rivera was fired midseason.
The hope is that Dalton can keep the ship afloat.
In relief in Week 7, the veteran wasn’t asked to do much. He completed 4 of 7 attempts for 60 yards on four drives as Carolina earned four first downs and scored three times. He made the game with a beautiful 33-yard lob to Xavier Legette.
Dalton made five starts last season for Young on the bench. He completed 106 of 159 attempts for 989 yards with seven touchdowns and six interceptions as the Panthers went 1-5 in those starts. A car accident knocked him out and Young took the reins again and never let go.
One thing should be certain with Dalton under center against a Bills team that has struggled to stop the run: Rico Dowdle and Chuba Hubbard should be saddled often.