2 winners (and 3 losers) from Carolina Panthers' defeat at Commanders

Winner No. 1

Ja'Tavion Sanders - Carolina Panthers TE

Bright spots were hard to find. The Carolina Panthers surrendered almost immediately and the game was over by half-time. This was another dismal effort with no genuine hope attached. Something that's become synonymous with the organization since David Tepper bought the franchise from Jerry Richardson.

Rookie tight end Ja'Tavon Sanders was a shining light amid the chaos. The No. 101 overall selection in the 2024 NFL Draft turned in the best pass-catching performance of his fledgling professional career, bringing all six of his receptions for 61 receiving yards and providing dependability that was sorely lacking elsewhere.

There is some work ahead regarding yards after the catch, but the Panthers have something where Sanders is concerned. They are getting almost nothing from other tight ends, so this is something for head coach Dave Canales to hang his hat on.

With the Panthers braced for another losing season and potentially the No. 1 overall selection once again, giving their young pass-catchers a chance to flourish would be desirable as part of their ongoing assessments. Sanders' emergence sooner than anticipated warrants bigger involvement moving forward.

Loser No. 2

Andy Dalton - Carolina Panthers QB

After spearheading the Carolina Panthers to their only win of the 2024 season at the Las Vegas Raiders in Week 3, veteran quarterback Andy Dalton has steadily regressed. The dependable, assured presence that head coach Dave Canales anticipated vanished completely at the Commanders en route to the league's worst QBR of the entire campaign.

Dalton began in the worst way imaginable by throwing an inexplicable pick-six to edge rusher Dante Fowler Jr. Things weren't much better after that, with the former second-round pick also throwing a second interception to Emmanuel Forbes Jr. after Dionate Johnson didn't finish the route with enough conviction.

Despite Dalton's obvious struggles and the Panthers going nowhere fast in 2024, Canales remains focused on starting him over former No. 1 pick Bryce Young. Just what the point of this is with a rebuilding team remains to be seen, but it's a definite sign that the pressure from within to pick up momentum quickly is evident.

It won't be much longer before Young is reinstalled if he's not traded before the deadline. Dalton's honeymoon period is well and truly over, so nothing but a good performance will do in Week 8 at the Denver Broncos.