Andy Dalton might not have secured a second straight victory since becoming the Carolina Panthers' starting quarterback, but it wasn't for a lack of trying in Week 4 against the Cincinnati Bengals. The veteran signal-caller gave his old employers all they could handle and was almost flawless aside from one interception. It was another defeat, but there were far more positives than negatives on the offensive side of the football.
This is Dalton's team for the foreseeable future despite Bryce Young waiting for another opportunity. There's more poise and execution overall with the former second-round pick under center. Carolina's players believe, which wasn't the case over the opening two games before head coach Dave Canales took drastic action.
Another of Dalton's ex-teams was on the agenda in Week 5 when the Panthers traveled to the Chicago Bears. It was also another big test for the TCU product in a hostile atmosphere - something he navigated effectively during a stunning display to achieve an unlikely win at the Las Vegas Raiders.
As it turned out, the Panthers reverted to type and were blown away by the Bears in a one-sided affair. With this in mind, here are five major observations from Dalton's performance in Week 5 at Soldier Field.
Major observations from Andy Dalton's performance at the Bears
Andy Dalton's early caution
Whether it was the play-calling from Dave Canales or Andy Dalton's caution, there were very few risks taken over the opening exchanges. The Carolina Panthers opted to play things safe on the road to begin the contest. It played a leading role in their eventual demise as the Chicago Bears came out of the gate flying.
Dalton didn't take any chances downfield until it was arguably too late. He looked more hesitant and nervous than in his previous two games. Perhaps it was the atmosphere, but he was sitting at one completed pass over 10 yards in the latter stages of the third quarter. That's how bad things were offensively after so many encouraging signs over the last fortnight.
It wasn't the best day for Dalton. Something was missing immediately, which stemmed from too much caution. The Panthers had no pressure on them in their current state. They just seemed a little scared to capitalize.
Andy Dalton's disjointed offense
One of the biggest positives surrounding Andy Dalton's introduction into the starting lineup was how cohesive the offense became instantly. There was more confidence, more conviction, and more presence. That wasn't the case in Week 5 at the Chicago Bears.
Everything looked a little disjointed. There was no rhythm. Dave Canales went away from the ground game when they fell into a deficit, but there were no explosive plays downfield. The constant stream of injuries throughout the contest represented another dark thorn in the team's side en route to their fourth defeat in five contests to start the campaign.
Dalton can only do so much. His outstanding start didn't mask the fact he's an aging veteran past the peak of his powers. Unless everything around the Pro Bowler is on point, it's not hard to see where the complications could emerge.
Everything that could go wrong, did go wrong for the Carolina Panthers. Dalton will do what he can, but things might get worse before they get better unless the offense becomes more efficient consistently.
Andy Dalton was fighting a losing battle
The Panthers are not a good football team. That's not exactly breaking news, but anyone with a half-decent roster to call upon seems to have their way with Dave Canales' men. The Chicago Bears were highly motivated to give wide receiver D.J. Moore some revenge on the franchise that deemed him expendable. It left Andy Dalton fighting a losing battle.
As one established veteran after another went to the sidelines through injury, Dalton's options diminished further. The Bears have a pretty good defensive unit when their tails are up. They made life uncomfortable for the signal-caller through interior pressure and solid coverage. That was a detrimental combination to Carolina's hopes of keeping the offense churning in the face of adversity.
Dalton made a couple of nice throws throughout the game, but they were fleeting moments. His ball to undrafted free agent Jalen Coker was arguably the biggest highlight. Diontae Johnson also made a tremendous catch in the fourth quarter, but his influence wasn't to the standard fans have come to expect.
The result is this one seemed like a foregone conclusion from a long way out. Carolina looked visibly deflated and outmatched. Not even Dalton's Cinderella story could save them this time.
Andy Dalton couldn't generate momentum
There was a big difference between Andy Dalton and the Carolina Panthers in Week 5 compared to his previous two starts. They couldn't generate any early momentum and the signal-caller suffered accordingly.
Dalton made a fast start at the Las Vegas Raiders and against the Cincinnati Bengals. The Chicago Bears were much better prepared with two games of film to study the veteran and how he runs Carolina's offense. They were predictable schematically and there weren't many times when the quarterback displayed any level of comfort in the pocket.
It is what it is. The Panthers made their bed when they decided to bench Bryce Young. Dalton was not leading them to the Super Bowl. He provides more stability, but he's also extremely limited without a lead.
Just how many of those the Panthers will have over their remaining 12 games remains to be seen. Based on this outing, it's going to be a long few months before another pivotal offseason in 2025.
Carolina Panthers cannot go away from Andy Dalton
After two straight losses and arguably Andy Dalton's worst performance since becoming the starter, there will be obvious speculation in the media about whether the Panthers should go back to Bryce Young. That is not an option - not yet, anyway.
Dave Canales took Young out of the firing line for a reason. He wanted the former No. 1 pick to take a breath and develop without the spotlight glaring. Dalton was only going to provide immediate relief. It's not the long-term plan - nobody knows what that is right now.
Dalton should be under center in Week 6 against the Atlanta Falcons and beyond. This is not going to be a quick fix for the Panthers. They are going to lose a lot more games than they win this season, that's the hard truth of the matter.
Putting Young in harm's way only jeopardizes his long-term outlook further. There are no such expectations for the veteran, who's got a couple of years left before walking away from the gridiron entirely.
The Panthers have a better chance of salvaging something from the campaign with Dalton. That might not be much, but it'll be something for Canales to hang his hat on amid the ongoing doom and gloom around the organization.