Carolina Panthers QB Andy Dalton celebrates, Sept. 22, 2024. (AP Picture/John Locher)
Thirty-six-year-old quarterback Andy Dalton was smiling all the way in which as he proved on Sunday that he nonetheless has what it takes to thrive within the NFL.
Dalton led the Carolina Panthers to their first win of the season, a commanding 36-22 street victory in opposition to the Las Vegas Raiders. For the sport, the “Purple Rifle” accomplished 26 of 37 passes for 319 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. His efficiency was the first 300-yard, three-touchdown game of the NFL season.
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Dalton received the beginning — his first since Week 3 of 2023 — in favor of struggling second-year quarterback Bryce Young, and the three-time Professional Bowler’s veteran presence offered simply the spark the Panthers’ offense wanted.
After managing solely 352 yards and 13 factors mixed by the season’s first two video games, Carolina exploded for 437 yards and 36 factors (21 within the first half alone) on Sunday. It began when Dalton led the Panthers on a gap drive that resulted in a 6-yard landing move to operating again Chuba Hubbard. It was the first time the team had scored a touchdown on its opening drive since Week 17 of the 2022-23 season.
Then within the second quarter, Dalton tossed two stunning touchdowns to receivers Diontae Johnson and Adam Thielen. Johnson snagged his 5-yard touchdown over the outstretched arms of two Raiders defenders, whereas Thielen’s diving 31-yard grab in traffic got here lower than a minute earlier than halftime.
An ideal TD move from @andydalton14 🎯
📺: #CARvsLV on CBS/Paramount
📱: https://t.co/waVpO8ZBqG pic.twitter.com/2XXFJuVoYc— NFL (@NFL) September 22, 2024
What a throw by @andydalton14! What a catch by @athielen19!
📺: #CARvsLV on CBS/Paramount
📱: https://t.co/waVpO909ge pic.twitter.com/9kJOeUA22e— NFL (@NFL) September 22, 2024
First-year Panthers head coach Dave Canales described the victory in opposition to the Raiders as a joyous finish to what had been a heavy week, and Dalton was the proper man on the excellent time to assist elevate the group’s spirits. In truth, “enjoyable” was the theme of Dalton’s postgame press convention.
“I’m usually fairly calm; I’m usually relaxed,” he said. “You understand, guys have been having enjoyable. I used to be attempting to ensure the fellows have been having enjoyable since you put in a ton of labor for this factor, and so that you can get on the market, it’s like now you get time to only go and benefit from the work that you just put in. And it makes it good when the day goes prefer it did as we speak.”
He continued later: “Discuss concerning the group had enjoyable, I most likely had probably the most enjoyable. And that’s the factor, I wasn’t gonna let anyone else have extra enjoyable than I used to be on the market. So enjoying this recreation, it’s like I stated, we put within the work, and whenever you get a possibility to be on the market on Sundays and get an opportunity to compete, yeah it’s a ton of enjoyable.”
Dalton might have a lot enjoyable — even on the finish of a heavy week — as a result of he’s enjoying to not be accepted by followers and even coaches, however from a spot of acceptance by his Father in Heaven.
“Individuals are at all times watching you, trying to see what you’re doing,” he stated as a guest on the Sports Spectrum Podcast in 2018. “Salvation is freely given; it’s by nothing that we’ve achieved however all the things that Jesus has achieved for us. … I’m not excellent. No one’s excellent besides Jesus.”
Dalton defined that, rising up in Katy, Texas, his dad and mom each believed in Jesus and took him to church. In third grade after speaking to his pastor, Dr. Knowledge, Dalton acknowledged his want for a Savior and have become a follower of Christ.
“I really feel very blessed to have the story that I’ve, that I didn’t should have the massive falling out or the massive second the place I used to be like, ‘I want to show my life round.’ I really feel blessed that my dad and mom raised me the suitable method and that I used to be in a position to make my religion my very own early on,” Dalton said on the podcast.
Now all through his 14 seasons in the NFL, Dalton has sought to make use of his platform to point to Jesus.
Ephesians 2:10 pic.twitter.com/c87j37kS3Y
— Andy Dalton (@andydalton14) August 28, 2019
Dalton and his spouse, Jordan, based the Andy & JJ Dalton Basis in 2012, a yr after Andy was drafted within the second spherical by the Bengals out of TCU. According to the foundation’s website, it exists to “present God’s love and style whereas offering help, assets and experiences to noticeably in poor health and bodily challenged youngsters and their households.”
Included in Dalton’s X bio is the Bible verse 1 Peter 5:6, and his profile picture is his initials and a cross.
“[Football] teaches you humility and endurance in all totally different elements,” Dalton stated in a 2014 edition of Sports Spectrum Magazine. “There are occasions if you find yourself praised and you’re the hottest factor going — after which issues flip, and individuals are attempting to convey you down. You simply should know that God is in charge of all the things, and you might be enjoying for Him. He has given you this expertise, and so you need to tune some issues out and maintain the concentrate on Him.”
Along with his id safe eternally in Christ, Dalton can transfer ahead as Carolina’s presumptive starter with full peace. Subsequent up on the Panthers’ schedule is a house recreation in opposition to the 0-2 Bengals (Sunday at 1 p.m. ET), the franchise which Dalton quarterbacked for his first 9 NFL seasons and led to five consecutive playoff appearances.
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