Relying on Andy Dalton's arm helped the Panthers' passing game but couldn't avert an 0-3 start

Updated Sep. 25, 2023 4:20 p.m. ET

Associated Press

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Andy Dalton’s big right arm couldn’t save the Carolina Panthers from another defeat.

Dalton played well filling in for rookie quarterback Bryce Young and the passing game was more in sync with the 13-year veteran under center, but the Panthers (0-3) struggled to run the ball and had too many self-inflected mistakes in a 37-27 loss at Seattle on Sunday.

Dalton completed 34 of 58 passes for 361 yards and two touchdowns with no interceptions, but Carolina was limited to 44 yards rushing on 15 carries and the offensive line was flagged for eight false starts.

“It’s hard to play when you're one-dimensional, and I feel like that’s what we did,” Dalton said. “We really couldn’t get the run game going. I think part of the stuff, too, is some of these penalties and different things that set you back, and now you feel like you have to throw the ball.”

Panthers coach Frank Reich called the penalties “pathetic" and “unacceptable.”

“I mean, it’s like we never played in the noise before," Reich said. "We knew it was coming. We practiced all week with noise.”

As for Dalton, he looked sharper than Young throwing the ball.

But he also played against one of the lowest-ranked pass defenses in the league, something Young didn't get the benefit of in games against Atlanta and New Orleans.

Reich has made it clear that once the No. 1 overall pick is healthy enough to play, he'll be back in the starting lineup. Young was expected to miss 1-to-2 weeks, so there is a chance he will return Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings.

Carolina's offensive line was supposed to be a strength, but injuries have contributed to problems with pass protection, and now suddenly, penalties.

Guard Austin Corbett remains out until at least Week 5 while recovering from a torn ACL last season and guard Brady Christensen is done for the season with a torn biceps, forcing the Panthers to play youngsters Cade Mays and Chandler Zavala. Tackles Ickey Ekwonu and Taylor Moton have struggled to live up to expectations.

WHAT’S WORKING

Adam Thielen had great chemistry with Dalton. The veteran duo — they have 24 years of combined NFL experience — hooked up 11 times for 145 yards and a touchdown. Thielen showed he's still an above-average route runner with good burst in his best game with the Panthers.

WHAT NEEDS HELP

The Panthers' run defense had no answer for Kenneth Walker III, who ran for 97 yards and two touchdowns. The Seahawks had 146 yards rushing and averaged 4.4 yards per carry against a Carolina defense playing without inside linebacker Shaq Thompson. The Panthers aren't playing sound gap defense and tackling has been an issue, too. Carolina is allowing 136.7 yards per game on the ground, which ranked 28th in the league entering Monday night's games.

STOCK UP

DJ Chark, who missed the season opener with a hamstring injury and was on a snap count in Week 2, gave the Panthers a boost in the passing game on Sunday. He caught four passes for 86 yards, including a 47-yard TD reception from Dalton. Chark insists better days are ahead for the Panthers. “We have the talent. It’s just we haven’t did it together as a group yet,” Chark said. "I feel like once we do it and we get that feeling, it’ll be contagious.”

STOCK DOWN

Ekwonu, who was the No. 6 pick in the 2022 NFL draft, appears to be regressing. He was flagged for four false start penalties on Sunday and has struggled with pass protection. “I guess just lack of focus, focusing on something else other than the small details,” Ekwonu said. "Obviously one of the finer details is cadence, and that’s something that regardless of the pressure or the play that’s called, that’s something you’ve got to key in on. That’s something I didn’t do.”

INJURIES

The Panthers, already without Thompson (broken leg) and cornerback Jaycee Horn (hamstring) on defense, lost inside linebacker Frankie Luvu to a hip pointer, cornerback CJ Henderson to an ankle injury and safety Xavier Woods to a hamstring injury on Sunday. Also, rookie wide receiver Jonathan Mingo suffered a concussion.

KEY NUMBER

25 — Eddy Pineiro's streak of consecutive field goals that ended on Sunday when he missed from 55 yards.

NEXT STEPS

Thielen faces his former team Sunday when the Panthers host the Vikings.

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