With Andy Dalton at quarterback, the Panthers’ passing game comes to life.

Dalton has now thrown two touchdown passes in the first half, putting the Panthers up 14-7 over the Raiders with 9:28 left in the second quarter.

Dalton got the Panthers off to a strong start on offense, something they haven’t been able to do in a while. The quarterback looked sharp on the opening drive, completing 5 of 6 passes for 52 yards, including a 6-yard touchdown pass to Chuba Hubbard.

While Carolina needed to score on its second possession, the team came alive to score again on its third. Dalton converted third-and-14 with a 23-yard pass to Diontae Johnson, keeping the possession alive. Then on third-and-goal, Dalton passed to Johnson for a 5-yard touchdown.

That was a response drive after the Raiders had gone 97 yards in 10 plays for a score. Alexander Mattison had capped that possession with a 2-yard touchdown to tie the game.

This is Dalton’s first start since Week 3 of last season, when he filled in for an injured Bryce Young in Seattle. Now, he’s been named the team’s starting center after Young was benched earlier in the week.

If the two attacking sides can maintain this level, it could well end up in a penalty shootout.