CAROLINA PANTHERS MEDIA CONFERENCE

October 26, 2025

Andy Dalton

Buffalo Bills 40, Carolina Panthers 9

ANDY DALTON: Well, turnovers didn't help. We had a lot of momentum at times and I turned the ball over a couple times that I didn't give us as much of a chance today. I've got to be better. I think that's the moral of it.

Q. How frustrating is that for you personally to have those turnovers, especially in the red zone?

ANDY DALTON: Yeah, it's tough. Obviously, I've got to do a better job of protecting the ball and especially at that point. Early in the game, we had momentum and we were going down to score and got to hold on to it.

Q. At the end of the first half you guys had a chance to put some points on the board, out of time-outs, took a sack on third down. (Inaudible) the play?

ANDY DALTON: Yeah, I can't take a sack. I should have found a way to throw it away and put us in a tough situation there and we were unable to get points at the end of the half.

Q. Andy, did it kind of just feel like the offensive line, the turnovers, it just kept piling on and piling on from a lack of momentum standpoint?

ANDY DALTON: Yeah, there's times early in the game we felt like we were moving the ball well. Even throughout the game, we were moving the ball well and we just end up shooting ourselves in the foot, got in some tough situations and we weren't able to overcome that.

Q. Andy, Dave said he went into the locker room and talked about it's one game. How hard is it to kind of hear that message and live it when one's like that.

ANDY DALTON: Yeah, it's obviously tough. They all count one. We have been on the other end of that the last three weeks so it's been a different feeling in the locker room and unfortunately today we did not play anywhere near the type of football that we know we're capable of playing.

Q. All the injuries up front, how tough is that going to be moving forward for this team?

ANDY DALTON: We'll see how this whole thing shakes out, see the extent of everything. We've got to find ways to still get the job done. I think that's why you've got the depth. We've been fortunate. We have a lot of guys who have played a lot of ball and we'll see how this thing goes from here, but, yeah. Doesn't stop for injuries. We got to keep going.

Q. Jalen Coker seemed like he had some good rhythm with him with his routes and some good timing with you. Just talk about him being back at full speed at that point.

ANDY DALTON: Yeah, I'm happy for him. He's obviously worked hard to get back and he's feeling more comfortable out there. For him, he's a guy that tries to do everything the right way and be in the right spot so I'm happy for him. I'm sure he's role is just going to keep increasing.

Q. Derrick Brown called this a humbling loss. A lot was made before the game that this would be a measuring stick. How do you think you guys measured up to one of the NFL's best?

ANDY DALTON: We obviously didn't play anywhere near the type of football we know that we can play. So, yeah, you can say it's a measuring stick but at the end of the day, we didn't even give ourselves a chance. For me, I didn't give this team a chance. It wasn't our day today. They obviously played really well on their side of the ball and for us, we got to move forward. It's on to the next. That's how this thing goes. They all count one so we got to be better next week.

Q. Does that make a loss like this worse because you guys are on a three-game win streak and you have been playing football?

ANDY DALTON: No, it doesn't make it worse. Obviously we have been in a good spot the last several weeks and we have had some momentum, but it counts one. Back to it this week.

Q. On the broadcast they made a big deal saying that Shaq Thompson read that tunnel screen or whatever and was pointing everybody that way. I don't know if you would agree with that or just in general can you describe that play and what happened and you wish you had done?

ANDY DALTON: Yeah, they made a good play, obviously. For the D to get up and mange that play, I tried to get the ball out as quick as I could and they made a good play.

Q. To Scott's point, did you hear Shaq calling it out before the snap at all?

ANDY DALTON: I mean, I think Shaq was communicating with them, so I don't know necessarily if he knew exactly our call and all that kind of stuff, so. It was a good play.

Q. Could you have killed it or did you not think it was necessary?

ANDY DALTON: No, again, it's the right call in the situation. The guy made a good play.

Q. What's your interactions like with Bryce throughout the game on the sideline between series?

ANDY DALTON: Yeah, Bryce and I are in constant communication just throughout the game, just seeing what he's seeing and all that kind of stuff, so it's obviously good to have him in my corner.

Q. You know what Brady Christensen's been through kind of the last couple of years being shuffled in and out of the lineup. Dave said that he has an achilles injury. When a guy like that goes down who was really thriving after having to be a backup for a while, what goes through your mind as a teammate and how do you create a support system around him following something major like that?

ANDY DALTON: Yeah, this league's tough. Injuries are almost 100%. It's going to happen. For him who has been so versatile and meant so much to this team for a long time ever since he got here, to be able to kind of plug and play wherever we need him and the work that he's done to be able to get to that point, after missing a season a couple years ago and everything and then to have this.

It's tough, but I know if anybody can handle it, it's him. He's got the right support system. I'm included in that. He's a guy that I'm going to be checking on and making sure that if he needs anything -- it is tough. That's the nature of this business, unfortunately.

Q. Andy, you seem to be taking this one particularly hard. Why is that?

ANDY DALTON: Because I didn't play like I was capable of playing. I felt like I didn't give us a chance and, yeah. It's tough. I know what I've been able to do and I know what I can do so to not play to the standard that you expect, that's why it's tough.

Q. Is it tough for you, Andy, being at this stage in your career, understanding you only get so many of these opportunities to get out there and start?

ANDY DALTON: Yeah, absolutely. Every time I'm out there I want to play good ball. You never know how many more you're going to get and I was longing forward to being out there today. Yeah, it's tough from that standpoint too because you never know when the next one is going to come.

Q. Looked like there was some rust... (inaudible).

ANDY DALTON: No, I thought we were getting in and out of the huddle great. I felt like the tempo of everything, I felt like we were doing a good job. We just, like I said, got hurt with some turnovers.

Q. As a veteran, how do you bounce back if your number is called again next week?

ANDY DALTON: I've been in this league a long time. I've experienced all the highs and lows of this league and so for me, it's on to the next. I have my process and I know exactly what it takes to be successful, and so just got to keep pushing for that. Thanks, guys.

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