4 bold Carolina Panthers predictions in Week 6 vs. the Atlanta Falcons
By Luke Gray
Week 6 will be Andy Dalton's last as Carolina Panthers starter
This has nothing to do with the play of Andy Dalton. In the two weeks before Week 5, the veteran quarterback revitalized the Carolina Panthers' paltry offense, which was by far the worst in the league with former No. 1 overall selection Bryce Young starting.
This prediction has more to do with the overall state of the Panthers' season through six weeks. Barring a real surprise following Sunday's clash with the Atlanta Falcons, they’ll likely be 1-5 and staring down another losing campaign. This continues the putrid run of team owner David Tepper, who's not had a winning season since buying the team from Jerry Richardson back in 2018.
When Young was benched following the Week 2 loss against the Los Angeles Chargers, head coach Dave Canales said Dalton gave the Panthers the best chance to win moving forward. Carolina will likely be 1-3 with the TCU product at the helm unless this team can dig deep and somehow find inspiration amid the chaos versus Atlanta.
While this is no fault of the Red Rifle, it may make Carolina reassess things for the remainder of its 2024 engagements.
It’s clear Dalton is not the long-term option for the Panthers at this late stage of his career. A disappointing 1-5 start may cause Canales and general manager Dan Morgan to sit down and decide whether or not to give Young an extended run in the team to see whether or not the Heisman Trophy winner out of Alabama has a future with this franchise.
We’ve seen enough of Young to know he likely won’t succeed at the Panthers. However, it seems unlikely the hierarchy will give up on him so soon.
If the defeat comes as expected this weekend, the Panthers may look to Young when they face rookie sensation Jayden Daniels and the red-hot Washington Commanders in Week 7.