Takeaways from a disastrous Panthers' loss at home vs. Bills

The Carolina Panthers were riding high on Sunday, coming off three straight wins and four out of five. They were a game back of first place in the division. The good vibes all came crashing down in an ugly, disastrous game. Winning was always a long shot, but the Panthers certainly didn't put up much of a fight.

Andy Dalton is completely done, and we need Bryce Young back

A.Dalton you know damn well you can’t take a sack in that situation. You’re 2 veteran of a qb 2 make that mistake 🤬🤬🤬🤬. #NFLSUNDAYFOOTBALL #BillsPanthers.
— shannon sharpe (@ShannonSharpe) October 26, 2025

A ton of quarterbacks would've done better than Andy Dalton today, as he missed throws, took avoidable, crushing sacks, and turned the ball over in ugly ways. Bryce Young would've had the Panthers in the game, so we desperately need him back and healthy. Dalton cannot continue. He should've been sat down at halftime, but he came out and took sacks and fumbled. It got worse from there. All day, Dalton was not confident, pump-faked a ton for no reason, and just couldn't make throws.

The defense couldn't hold up

The final score doesn't really indicate it, but the defense started out pretty well. They were gashed by the run as the game went on (which was not terribly surprising since it's Josh Allen, James Cook, and the Bills), but they defended Allen pretty well. It quickly went downhill from there, and it devolved into another disgusting performance. Had Dalton kept them in it, they might've played better.

Dave Canales has to make a change at running back

Dave Canales has tried everything to get Chuba Hubbard going and maintain the split between him and Rico Dowdle, but it's not working. Hubbard has lost it, and Dowdle is electric right now. There's zero excuse to keep starting and giving Hubbard so many touches. It was painfully evident today that Dowdle has to be the RB1. Doing otherwise is almost malpractice by the coaching staff.

Dave Canales did not help this contest

It's really not clear why Dave Canales, speaking of, will not make changes when necessary. He had no trouble benching Bryce Young when it was necessary, but he won't bench Chuba Hubbard, and he wouldn't bench Andy Dalton until the game was in comedic, laughable territory. It just seems like he refuses to do the right thing, and his game plan today wasn't sound, either.

Offensive line injuries mount

The offensive line was already banged up, but then Taylor Moton and Cade Mays got hurt. When Mays left, the offensive line got worse, and there was even a snap that hit Chuba Hubbard and ruined a play before it could even get going. Brady Christensen got hurt, too. It was a bloodbath. They're going to have to get healthier there.

Tetairoa McMillan made lemonade out of lemon seeds

Tetairoa McMillan had to deal with a solid secondary, a massive deficit meaning Buffalo could key in on the passing game, and horrendous QB play. Yet, he turned in a really good day. Had Dalton been more accurate, he would've had an even better day and a touchdown. Still, he was maybe the one bright spot on offense.

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