Carolina rookie head coach Dave Canales states the obvious about the Panthers' Week 3 matchup with the Raiders.

“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.”

Said Ezekiel Elliott, who watched Andy Dalton step up in Dallas: “It didn’t matter if he was getting hit, taking it in the face. He stayed level-headed.”