5 major observations from Andy Dalton's performance vs. the Bengals

Andy Dalton's decent first half

Although Andy Dalton was never able to match the heights of his first-half showing at the Las Vegas Raiders, it was a decent enough opening to the contest against the Cincinnati Bengals. The veteran did cough up an interception when a batted pass fell into the hands of former Carolina Panthers safety Vonn Bell. But aside from that, it was relatively pleasing.

Things would have been even better for Dalton had it not been for a couple of critical drops from wide receiver Diontae Johnson, including a potential touchdown grab. The pick was the only blemish, but the former TCU star kept the chains moving, looked to push the football downfield when opportunities arose, and seemed pretty much in control of proceedings with confidence brimming.

Dalton's first-half stats spoke for themselves. Even though the Panthers went into the interval down 21-14.

• 76.19 percent completion
• 134 passing yards
• 1 touchdown
• 1 interception
• 0 sacks against
• 88.2 passer rating (ESPN)

The offense can only do so much. Carolina's defense had no answer for Joe Burrow and the Bengals' offense. This made things more difficult, but the veteran was more of a help than a hindrance, which is always positive.

Andy Dalton's blossoming connection

With veteran wide receiver Adam Thielen going to injured reserve with a hamstring issue, it deprived Andy Dalton of an experienced target that he's already developed chemistry with. However, it allowed for a blossoming relationship to catch the eye.

Xavier Legette is steadily becoming an important piece of Carolina's offensive puzzle. The first-round selection spent plenty of time working with Dalton over the offseason as part of the second-string offense. This seems to be paying off based on the wideout's emergence since the Panthers made their bold quarterback switch.

This was Legette's best performance of his professional career by a considerable margin, and Dalton had a big hand in that. The timing was on point between the pair throughout. Dave Canales also got the former South Carolins star a few carries in the run game to further enhance his influence.

There was one concentration lapse in the third quarter when Legette could have gone for a big gain, but he's still learning his craft. Dalton seems to trust him enough, so it'll be interesting to watch how this pairing flourishes in the coming weeks as the first-year pro continues to evolve.