4 burning questions Carolina Panthers fans are asking ahead of Week 4 vs. Vikings

Carolina Panthers most impressive players

Who were you most impressed with on each side of the ball this past Sunday? - Phillip J.

Great question, Phillip. I'll begin answering this on the offensive side of the ball with Andy Dalton, who started this past Sunday in place of the injured Bryce Young.

I was beyond impressed with Dalton's play throughout the game. Despite always having limitations as an athlete, he still created some impressive out-of-structure plays that could make the New York Jets come calling. I liked how the veteran implemented some side-arm action to fit his passes into better windows.

The former long-time Cincinnati Bengals starter showed great poise and pocket awareness throughout the game, even with the amount of times he was pressured. Dalton stayed still in the pocket and delivered accurate throws on time while in the face of pressure. He also threw some beautiful passes, including a back-shoulder bucket drop to D.J. Chark.

Dalton was far from perfect and still missed some critical throws throughout the game. Considering the circumstances he was faced with, I was impressed.

Defensively, despite getting hurt in the first half, I thought cornerback C.J. Henderson was en route to having his best day as a Carolina Panthers player before going down with an ankle injury. He was terrific in man coverage, especially when charged with shadowing D.K. Metcalf.

Henderson showed physicality, smooth technique, and good mirroring ability when working against Metcalf. On the play he suffered the ankle injury, the former Florida Gator made a great play on the ball and displayed superb press-man coverage from start to finish.

When Henderson left the game, Metcalf's production increased rapidly and it was obvious that the former first-round pick's presence was missed.

Say what you want about Henderson. I think he has done a great job stepping up in place of Jaycee Horn. No. 23 gets flack for giving up big plays whether that's in coverage or causing defensive pass interference. Outside of that, he has been steady and sound with his coverage and run support assignments in two and a half games.

Let's hope that Henderson can play this weekend. If not, Justin Jefferson might be in for a great day in Charlotte.