Bills will reportedly face Panthers' offense missing its centerpiece in Week 8

Coming out of their bye week riding a two-game losing streak, the Buffalo Bills will receive somewhat of a break during their upcoming matchup with the Carolina Panthers.

The Panthers will be without starting quarterback Bryce Young in Week 8 vs. the Bills, a league source confirmed to ESPN’s David Newton, forcing a familiar face into action when Buffalo heads to Carolina on Sunday afternoon.

Oct 5, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Andy Dalton (14) warms up during the first quarter against the Miami Dolphins at Bank of America Stadium. | Cory Knowlton-Imagn Images

Young went down with an injury during the third quarter of a Week 7 meeting with the New York Jets. And per an initial report from NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero, it was later determined via an MRI that he sustained a sprained ankle. With its starter on the mend, Carolina will now turn to backup QB Andy Dalton, with whom Bills fans should be mighty familiar.

Dalton helped guide the Cincinnati Bengals to a fateful Week 17 win during the 2017 season, which helped the Bills punch their playoff ticket in Sean McDermott’s first season as head coach, ending a 17-year playoff drought. He was with the Bengals for the first nine seasons of his career before bouncing from team to team over the next three seasons.

The 15-year veteran has been with the Panthers since the 2023 campaign, appearing in 12 games, including six starts, five of which came last year. Dalton finished his five-game stint as the team’s starter a season ago with a 1-4 record, completing 66.3% of his passes for 989 yards, seven touchdowns and six interceptions. During a little over a quarter of action this past Sunday against the New York Jets, he finished 4 of 7 passing for 60 yards, helping Carolina solidify a much-needed victory.

Oct 19, 2025; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) exits the field during the third quarter against the New York Jets at MetLife Stadium. | Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images

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Young has helped the Panthers get off to a 4-3 start to the season, including three straight wins, completing 61.6% of his passes for 1,288 yards, 11 touchdowns and five interceptions. Since being drafted by the Panthers with the No. 1 overall pick of the 2023 NFL Draft, Young has averaged 5.8 yards per pass attempt, which is just over a half-yard fewer than Dalton’s average yards per attempt (6.4) since he joined the Panthers that same season. He has an overall record of 10-25 as a starting quarterback.

During his time with the Bengals, Dalton started six games against the Bills, including two matchups with Buffalo since McDermott took over as head coach in 2017. Dalton is 1-1 in those matchups, with his last start against the Bills coming during the 2019 season, a game he finished 20 of 36 passing for 250 yards, a touchdown, two interceptions and with a 21-17 defeat.

The grizzled veteran will take on a Buffalo pass defense that has allowed opposing QBs to throw for at least 233 yards passing in each of the team’s past two games. The Bills have never lost a game out of their bye week under McDermott, carrying an 8-0 record in such circumstances entering the Week 8 contest.

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