LAS VEGAS (AP) — When Panthers coach Dave Canales decided to bench Bryce Young this week in favor of Andy Dalton, the point spread at BetMGM Sportsbook immediately dropped from 7 points to 5 1/2 in favor of the Raiders.
History shows Dalton should give Carolina an excellent chance to beat the Raiders when they meet Sunday in Las Vegas.
Dalton has never lost to the Raiders, though the sample size is small. He is 3-0, completing 63 of 94 passes for 708 yards and seven touchdowns.
“Hopefully, we can continue that," Dalton said. "It’s been a lot of different coordinators and a lot of different teams and everything. So I wouldn’t say there is one reason, but hopefully we put something together this week and can continue it.”
The Raiders could have a not-so-secret option in trying to combat Dalton. Marvin Lewis, who was the Bengals coach when Dalton played for Cincinnati, is Las Vegas' assistant head coach.
Coach Antonio Pierce, however, downplayed how much insider knowledge that Lewis might own on his former QB would translate this weekend.
“That was some years ago,” Pierce said. "It’s really a scouting report at this point. We’re still trying to figure out what Carolina is going to do offensively with Andy, which might be different or may not be different than they did with Bryce.”
Canales' decision to pull the plug so quickly on Young, the No. 1 overall draft pick last year, came as a surprise, and Pierce acknowledged Monday morning when the news broke that he might have to adjust the game plan.
The Panthers have not been competitive while getting outscored a combined 73-13 by the Saints and Chargers to open the season.
The Raiders come into this game with some juice after rallying from 10 points down in the fourth quarter to defeat the Ravens 26-23 and move to 1-1. Considering the Raiders were 8 1/2-point underdogs, they can point to that game as proof that being a big favorite can mean little.
“There are no free passes in this league,” Raiders quarterback Gardner Minshew said.
Pumping him up
As Minshew came off the field after throwing an interception, defensive end Maxx Crosby went straight to him, pointed to his chest and told him the defense had his back.
“That dude is a great leader,” Minshew said. “He does it the right way, and I couldn’t be more grateful to have him on our team.”
The Raiders trailed 6-3 late in the second quarter when Minshew threw the pick, but the Ravens failed to capitalize when Justin Tucker missed a 56-yard field goal.
Minshew led Las Vegas on four scoring drives to close the game and beat Baltimore.
“I can go up to Gardner and give him a pep talk, too, but it’s different when it comes from Maxx Crosby,” Pierce said.
Giving up the big play
Despite going 2-15 last season, the Panthers had one of the stingiest pass defenses in the league.
This year has been different story.
Carolina has already allowed five touchdown passes in two games — including a 59-yarder to Saints wide receiver Rashid Shaheed and a 29-yarder to Chargers wideout Quentin Johnston — and the defense has allowed 73 points in two games since trading away top pass rusher Brian Burns.
“The big thing is not giving up the big play,” Panthers cornerback Jaycee Horn said. “That is how we change it, by limiting those big plays and keeping the top on the defense."
Throwing downfield
Conversely, the Panthers need to make some big plays on offense.
Their longest completion went for 12 yards in last week’s 26-3 loss to the Chargers, and Canales said the offense needs to be more “aggressive.” Canales said it would help if the team can pick up a few first downs. Carolina is just 2 of 22 on third downs this season.
“If we had converted more third downs, we would have had more chances to run the (play) action, so that is something I have to improve on and make sure that we get those shots down the field,” said Canales, who doubles as the team’s play-caller. “We have some talent out their at the skills positions.”
Keeping it clean
The Raiders have had 31 accepted penalties for 237 yards since Pierce took over midway through last season. Both are the fewest in the NFL over that time.
Las Vegas has committed five penalties for 30 yards this season, also the fewest in each category.
“We talked about that with Baltimore,” Pierce said. “They were a highly penalized team. We didn’t want to be that team. Couldn’t beat ourselves.”
The Raiders had three penalties for 15 yards in that game, compared to 11 for 109 for the Ravens.
___
AP Sports Writer Steve Reed in Charlotte, North Carolina, contributed to this report.
___
AP NFL: https://apnews.com/NFL
Mark Anderson, The Associated Press
