Andy Dalton leads Panthers to first win after Bryce Young was benched

This story has been updated with new information.

Andy Dalton didn't take long to reward Dave Canales for the Carolina Panthers coach's bold move.

The veteran quarterback helped the Panthers to a 36-22 victory on Sunday, the team's first win of the season and a much-needed moment of relief for the franchise just six days after it benched its former No. 1 pick, Bryce Young.

Dalton finished the game with 319 yards and three touchdowns on 26 of 37 passing, helping the Panthers to 437 total yards. The 14-year veteran's aerial points were the first of the season for the offense, and his first-half passing total (212) surpassed Carolina's total from the first two games (204).

He also became the first NFL quarterback this season to throw for at least 300 yards and score three touchdowns.

“It was a great feeling,” Dalton said in a postgame press conference. “Obviously, I couldn't have planned it any better to be out there and for it to go the way it did. … We never let up. And that was the beauty of it. We didn't just have one drive. We did it the whole game.”

Dalton provided a stark contrast from the start, leading the offense to march 70 yards on a nine-play opening series and capping it off with a 9-yard touchdown to running back Chuba Hubbard. It was the first touchdown on the Panthers' first drive since Week 17 of 2022.

In the second quarter, he completed two more touchdown passes: a 5-yard pass to Diontae Johnson and a 31-yard pass to Adam Thielen, where Dalton outplayed two defenders and delivered the spectacular throw.

In the Panthers' first two games, the team converted just two of its 22 third-down attempts – a league low. On Sunday, Carolina was successful on five of its 12 third-down attempts.

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