“I’ve been around guys. I think Andy Dalton’s got a special character to him and understanding of this offense,” Whitworth recalled saying. “We’ve gotta buckle down and just play with this guy as our quarterback, and we’re gonna be a lot better than you guys think.”

On Sunday, the team will roll out quarterback Andy Dalton under center—going ahead with their sudden switch from previous starter and 2023 No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young. Head coach Dave Canales was asked how the unit has looked at practice with the 14th-year veteran now at the helm.

Dalton vs. Raiders defense: Look for plenty of play-action passes by the Panthers, which plays to the 14-year veteran quarterback’s strengths. Dalton is 447 of 692 passing (64.6%) for 5,404 yards with 32 touchdowns and 16 interceptions on play-action passes since 2016, per NextGen Stats.