Panthers' Andy Dalton immediately ends long drought after replacing benched Bryce Young

The Carolina Panthers made a major change coming into Week 3, benching quarterback Bryce Young for veteran Andy Dalton . Many people questioned the move, but it looks like it's already working for the Panthers. In their opening drive against the Las Vegas Raiders, Dalton threw a touchdown pass to Chuba Hubbard and gave the Panthers a lead for the first time since the final play of a 9-7 win vs. Falcons on Dec. 17 of last year.

The touchdown was also the first opening drive touchdown the Panthers have had in 20 games. It'll be interesting to see if the Panthers' early success in this game can continue.

Andy Dalton steps in as starting QB for Panthers

After Andy Dalton was named the starting quarterback, and he spoke about the excitement of being put in the position,

"I'm really excited for this opportunity," Dalton told reporters, via the team website . "When I came here, I wasn't sure if I was going to get another opportunity to start again. I'm really looking forward to it. I'm excited about what's ahead.

"It's a tough situation. I've been on both sides of it, and it's hard for everybody. But for me, I'm looking forward to it."

Panthers head coach Dave Canales spoke about how practice looked with Dalton taking over as the starter, and he had nothing but good things to say earlier in the week.

"Practice looks sharp. Just constant communication, he's talking to guys, which is a continuation of building our concepts, our team, and finding our identity," Canales said.

Dalton has a solid resume throughout his career in the NFL, making the Pro Bowl three times as the Cincinnati Bengals quarterback from 2011 to 2019, and has started in games for the Dallas Cowboys, Chicago Bears, New Orleans Saints, and the Panthers. If Dalton can continue to do good things on the field, he may be the starter for the foreseeable future.