Panthers dominate Raiders as Andy Dalton, starting in place of benched Bryce Young, throws 3 touchdowns

The Red Rifle was in top form on Sunday as Andy Dalton and the Carolina Panthers shocked the Las Vegas Raiders on the road with a 36-22 victory, earning the team's first win of the season.

One of the biggest headlines this week was Dave Canales' decision to bench Bryce Young, the Panthers' 2023 first-round pick, and start Dalton at quarterback after a terrible 0-2 start in which the offense failed to produce anything.

Well, the Panthers will have even more questions to answer about Young after what Dalton was able to do in Canales' system, and for Carolina, that was the case from the start when this game began in Sin City.

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM

Carolina Panthers quarterback Andy Dalton throws a pass against the Las Vegas Raiders during the first half at Allegiant Stadium. (Kirby Lee-Images)

Dalton, knowing the Panthers had scored just 13 points in their first two losses of the year, led a nine-play, 70-yard drive that was capped by a 6-yard touchdown pass from running back Chubba Hubbard.

It was the first touchdown by a Panthers field player this season, as Young was the only scorer in garbage time in Week 1 against the New Orleans Saints. And Hubbard played a key role in that offensive outburst, finishing the game with 114 yards on 21 carries and catching five passes from Dalton for 55 yards.

But the game was not a landslide victory from the start, as Gardner Minshew and the Raiders were able to equalize the Panthers' touchdown in the first drive with a 10-play, 97-yard drive in which Alexander Mattison put the ball into the goal from two yards out, equalizing the score at 7:7.

NFL LEGEND JIMMY JOHNSON FIRES PANTHERS OWNER DAVID TEPPER AMID A TRUTH-BREAKING START TO THE 2024 SEASON

But the Raiders faltered when Dalton responded on the ensuing drive. This time he found his best receiver of the day, Diontae Johnson, who scored a five-yard touchdown to take a 14-7 lead. Johnson had eight catches for 122 yards.

Then, after some back-and-forth on both sides of the attack, Dalton threw his third touchdown pass of the first half, this time to veteran receiver Adam Thielen, through a tight window between two Raiders defenders for 31 yards and a 21-7 lead with 21 seconds left in the second quarter.

Thielen suffered a hamstring injury during this game and did not return for the remainder of the game after recording three catches for 40 yards.

In the second half, Dalton continued to score goals for Carolina.

Carolina Panthers quarterback Andy Dalton throws a pass against the Las Vegas Raiders during the second quarter at Allegiant Stadium. (Stephen R. Sylvanie-Imagn Images)

After two consecutive field goals in the first two drives of the second half, Dalton made his way down the field, receiving good passes from Johnson and Hubbard. And after 11 plays and 84 yards, Miles Sanders stormed into the end zone to seal a 33-7 victory in Las Vegas.

The Raiders showed some life on the ensuing drive when Minshew found Jakobi Meyers for a 13-yard touchdown. Meyers finished the game with seven catches for 62 yards.

However, on Minshew's next drive, an interception occurred on the second play because he and Davante Adams (four catches, 40 yards) were not on the same wavelength.

That prompted head coach Antonio Pierce to bench Minshew and replace him with Aidan O'Connell, who got his first snaps of the year and led a garbage-time touchdown drive that saw Tre Tucker, the team's leading receiver with 96 yards, reach the end zone to make it 36-22.

Carolina Panthers quarterback Andy Dalton throws a pass against the Las Vegas Raiders at Allegiant Stadium. (Kirby Lee-Images)

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

But all signs pointed to the Panthers – a team many believed was on pace to have the NFL's worst record again this season – picking up their first win of the year, making it clear that the decision to bench Young this week was the right one.

Follow Fox News Digital Sports coverage on X and subscribe the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.