Carolina Panthers vs. Cincinnati Bengals

Carolina Panthers vs. Cincinnati Bengals

Sunday, September 29, 2024 at 1:00 p.m.

Bank of America Stadium
800 S. Mint St.
Charlotte, NC 28202

Tickets: $50 plus

Andy Dalton will look to continue his stellar play against his former team the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, who are coming into the game hungry for a win at 0-3. Dalton, who was drafted by the Bengals in the second round out of TCU in 2011, played nine seasons in Cincinnati, earning three Pro Bowl appearances.

Last week, he threw for 319 yards, completing 70% of his passes with three touchdowns in the Panthers’ first win of the season against the Raiders. He was named one of the Fed Ex Air and Ground Players of the Week along with San Francisco’s Jauan Jennings.

Congrats to Andy Dalton on winning the NFL’s Fed Ex Air and Ground Player of the Week! pic.twitter.com/0e8Uz2bi5u

— CLTure® ( culture ) (@CLTure) September 25, 2024

Keys to the Game: 

Chuba Hubbard and Miles Sanders will have an opportunity to establish the ground attack early and control the pace of the game against the Bengals’ subpar run defense which is allowing 142.3 yards per game. The Panthers will have to do it without big-money offseason free agent acquisition, Damien Lewis, who is out for Sunday’s game with an elbow injury. Second-year guard out of NC State, Chandler Zavala, who was drafted by the Panthers in the fourth round in 2023, will get the start.

Xavier Legette will have a chance to step up after Adam Thielen suffered a hamstring injury that placed him on IR following last week’s win. Legette only had three targets last week, but showed some burst on a short pass that he took for 35 yards against the Raiders. With all of the attention shifting to Diontae Johnson, Legette should get some opportunities, although Cincinnati’s pass defense has been sturdy thus far this season ranking eighth in the NFL.

On the defensive side of the ball, the Panthers will have their hands full slowing down Joe Burrow and his talented receiving core of Ja’Marr Chase and Tee Higgins, who are all anxious to get their first win of the season. Jaycee Horn, Michael Jackson, and the secondary will need to limit the explosive plays and try to force at least one turnover to keep the high-powered Bengals passing attack off the field– of course the running game will help with that as well.

Honoring North Carolina great, Julius Peppers

Sunday will also be a special day at Bank of America Stadium as Julius Peppers will be honored and presented with the Hall of Fame Ring of Excellence during halftime. The ring is one of three signature tokens given to Hall of Fame members including the Gold Jacket and Bronze Bust. Peppers is the first player drafted by the Panthers to enter the Hall of Fame and the 90th first-ballot Hall of Famer in NFL history.

Born in Wilson, North Carolina and growing up in nearby Bailey, Peppers was a multi-sport athlete who played both basketball and football for the home state Tar Heels. Selected with the second overall pick in the 2002 NFL Draft by the Panthers, he went on to become a member of the NFL’s 2000s and 2010s All-Decade Teams, recording 159.5 career sacks, which ranks fourth in league history.

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