Andy Dalton out of the bullpen, 4 other things to know about Panthers vs. Bills

A 1-3 start has turned into three straight wins for the improving Carolina Panthers. Dave Canales’s club has used a strong ground game and some timely defense to make a move in their division. The 4-3 Panthers are one game behind the 5-2 Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC South.

This is quarterback Andy Dalton’s 15th NFL season, and his third with the Panthers. With Bryce Young nursing a high ankle sprain, Dalton will be making his seventh start for Carolina on Sunday. In a dozen games with the club since 2023, he’s completed 64.5 percent of his passes for 1,468 yards, 10 touchdowns and six picks. In 2024, he started five consecutive games after Canales sat down Young after a pair of miserable outings to start the season.

Dalton and the Panthers face arguably their top foe to date this season in the Buffalo Bills, a playoff team each of the past six seasons and winners of five straight AFC East titles.

Panthers vs. Bills History

The Carolina Panthers began play in the National Football League in 1995. The team’s first game resulted in an overtime loss to the Falcons at Atlanta. The Panthers’ starting quarterback was Bills’ playoff legend and future Panthers’ head coach Frank Reich.

A week later, Reich and company were in Orchard Park and Buffalo rolled to a 31-9 win. All told, the Panthers have dropped six of their eight meetings in this series. This marks just the fourth time that Carolina will host this interconference matchup.

Turnovers Have Suddenly Plagued Bills’ QB Josh Allen

A season ago, the 2024 NFL MVP led a team that tied the NFL record for fewest turnovers (8) in a season. All of those miscues were by Josh Allen, who also did not give up the ball in three playoff games, as well as during the club’s 3-0 start this season. Allen has five turnovers (4 interceptions) in his last three outings.

A year ago, Carolina’s defensive unit was simply horrendous when it came to stopping the run. They were dead last in the NFL in rushing defense, surrendering a disturbing 179.8 yards per game on the ground. During this current three-game winning streak, the Panthers have given up a total of 131 rushing yards.

Panthers’ WR Xavier Legette Bears Watching

While Rico Dowdle and the Panthers’ running attack has earned plenty of praise as of late, keep in mind that Sean McDermott’s Bills are averaging a league-high 151.0 yards per game on the ground. Buffalo’s James Cook is fourth in the NFL with 537 yards in six games, just behind the streaking Dowdle (551).

Second-year Panthers’ wideout Xavier Legette comes off his best game of the season, and has apparently overcome a very rough start this season. Since returning from a hamstring injury that caused him to miss two games, he’s been targeted 16 times and totaled 13 catches for 134 yards and a pair of touchdowns.

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