Andy Dalton's near-perfect week 6 performance wasn't enough for Carolina to spring unlikely upset

Matt Alquiza | 2 Hours Ago

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Carolina Panthers

It was good until it wasn't.

Andy Dalton was sublime for most of Sunday's matchup against the Atlanta Falcons, washing away any memory of last week's abhorrent outing in Chicago. Even with a patchwork offensive line that saw two starters replaced by rotational linemen, Dalton was given ample time in the pocket to hit a bevy of receivers at every level. And it did it.

It started, like always, with Dionate Johnson.

On the Panthers first scoring drive Dalton and Johnson connected three times for 46 yards and a touchdown that opened the game's scoring. The connection between the two veterans sent shockwaves through the NFL in weeks three and four, flashing firepower that fans have missed since it fizzled out in Charlotte around the same time Cam Newton was sent packing. The duo has now played four games together, and it's clear that their week five dud was the exception to the rule.

Rookie success

Dalton found success elsewhere too. Diontae Johnson's sure hands saw the brunt of the Red Rifle's targets, but a pair of rookies drew the eye of their veteran quarterback as well. Rookies Jalen Coker (three catches for 30 yards), Xavier Legette (three catches for 23 yards and a touchdown), and Ja'Tavion Sanders (five catches for 49 yards) elevated themselves above second-year disappointment Jonthan Mingo in the Panthers' receiving hierarchy.

The veteran quarterback found some success on the ground too. Dalton showed off his wheels on an 18 yard scramble that set up Legette's second quarter touchdown. He finished with 21 yards on the ground, more than doubling his season total of 10 through his first four starts.

The Panthers quarterback directed the offense up and down the field at will through three-and-a-half quarters until he threw a backbreaking interception to Pro Bowl corner AJ Terrell early in the fourth quarter. Down five, Carolina rode the hot hands of Chuba Hubbard and Diontae Johnson into Falcons territory before Dalton uncorked an ill-advised throw in the direction of Ian Thomas. Terrell was running stride-for-stride with Thomas, leaving Dalton a keyhole sized window to throw to, and the veteran quarterback missed the mark and delivered a peach right into Terrell's waiting arms. A second in garbage time is another wart on the signal-callers otherwise impressive stat sheet, but at that point, the game was all but over.

It was the only, albeit massive, blemish on an otherwise impressive outing by Dalton. In this era of Carolina Panthers football that will be defined by the evaluation of it's young players, Dalton did all that he could to put his green teammates on display. All three receivers, Johnson, Legette, and Coker, along with rookie tight end Ja'Tavion Sanders are flashing skills that Dan Morgan and Dave Canales can build with going forward.

Final Grade

For week six, Dalton gets a B for his performance. Enough to move the evaluation period forward, but not enough to win football games. Carolina is firmly in the race for the number one overall pick in the 2024 NFL draft, giving them the inside track to either draft Dalton's replacement, or an impact defender to help patch their leaky unit.