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

Andy Dalton kept swinging

The Carolina Panthers defense didn't have a good afternoon at the office. Joe Burrow had his way with Ejiro Evero's unit thanks in no small part to their non-existent pass-rush. They were chasing the contest throughout the second half as a result. That didn't stop Andy Dalton from swinging right until the end.

Dalton remained aggressive, which was imperative for the Panthers to come even within touching distance of the Cincinnati Bengals. While the old Panthers might have rolled over and accepted a heavy defeat, there was no such mindset attached to the 2011 second-round selection under center.

He rolled up his sleeves and showed fearlessness with the pressure building. This was evidenced by his laser to Pro Bowl wide receiver Diontae Johnson that went for a touchdown to close the gap early in the fourth quarter.

There were a few key misses down the stretch, but Dalton deserves credit for making a fight of things. It wasn't enough when push came to shove. However, it's another sign that the Panthers are in good hands with the signal-caller whether Carolina ends up winning many games or not.

Andy Dalton did everything he could

It's hard to envisage anything more Andy Dalton could have done in this one. This is not a good football team right now, but the signal-caller turned the offense into a serviceable operation. Unfortunately, the defense didn't meet expectations and the Carolina Panthers suffered their third defeat in four contests.

The Panthers will move forward with Dalton under center. He easily gives them the best chance to win. Had his young wide receivers not dropped some catchable balls in the second half, the result might have been different. There were also far too many batted passes throughout, which needs to be rectified as a matter of urgency.

Dalton can walk away with his head held high. It was easy to get carried away after last weekend, but it's also worth remembering that the ceiling is low with the aging veteran. He needs everything around him to be almost perfect. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case this time around.

Next up for Dalton and the Panthers is a trip to the Chicago Bears. It's another tough challenge and another of the signal-caller's old teams. Being efficient clearly isn't enough looking at the deficiencies elsewhere. This result was proof positive of that.

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