The Carolina Panthers were heavily criticized in the media after making the difficult decision to bench quarterback Bryce Young before Week 3. Head coach Dave Canales had seen enough after just two games, and under pressure to gain some momentum and avoid another losing season, the switch was made to experienced Andy Dalton.

Criticism was plentiful afterward. The media was quick to mock the Panthers for how well they handled Young’s crucial early development and the state of the franchise overall. Canales felt the pressure as the turmoil of another difficult week took its toll. Things weren’t looking good and fan morale was incredibly low.

This did not go unnoticed by the players. They rallied around their head coach and quarterback and delivered a sensational performance that swept the Las Vegas Raiders off the field and finally got their season underway.

That’s the best way to silence critics. To fight back. Only victory counts. And the Panthers have emphatically done that to justify Canales’ decision to take Young out of the starting lineup.

Some media outlets stuck to their opinion and claimed that this was nothing more than a flash in the pan. A former player, who was extremely critical of the decision, expressed a different opinion.

Former All-Pro wide receiver Chad ‘Ochocinco’ Johnson, who was in attendance at Allegiant Stadium, apologized to the Panthers for his previous remarks during an episode of his Nightcap podcast alongside Shannon Sharpe. Given the improvements made immediately, this was the only respectable option.

“I said when a new quarterback comes in, everyone seems to play better. That’s exactly what happened. I owe the Panthers organization and the Panthers fans an apology. I was upset that Bryce Young was benched because I understand that a rookie quarterback comes into a situation where a team hasn’t played well last year and is expected to be the savior. Maybe my wording was wrong when I said he had no one to throw to. I can put my foot in it sometimes. I was wrong.”

– Chad Johnson

Taking responsibility for wrong opinions is difficult for most people. Immediately after the game, no one took back their hatred. Everyone acknowledged that Dalton’s presence revitalized an offense that quickly became embarrassed with Young at quarterback.

Canales knows that maintaining those high standards is the only way the Panthers can recover from their low points this season. He had to bench Young to get a better read on the offense. While it’s only a small sample size, it seems the Heisman Trophy winner may have been the cause of their problems after all.

This result will mean nothing if the Panthers can’t build on it. Next Sunday’s game against the Cincinnati Bengals will be a much tougher test of their qualities. But looking at the schedule for the next month, there are a few games they can win if this trend continues.

If the Panthers can maintain this new level of performance and continue to win along the way, Johnson won’t be the only one who needs to be humbled.

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