"Time to hang up the cleats, bud": NFL fans react to Bills' A.J. Epenesa picking off Andy Dalton in Week 8 clash

The Buffalo Bills' dominant start against the Carolina Panthers in their Week 8 clash on Sunday was highlighted by defensive end A.J. Epenesa picking off Panthers quarterback Andy Dalton.

With the Bills holding a 12-3 advantage in the second quarter, Dalton was looking for his wide receiver Jalen Coker. However, the Panthers quarterback failed to get it last Espenea's solid screening.

The Bills defensive end intercepted Dalton's pass and led a turnover by carrying it to the 1-yard line. His teammate Josh Allen rushed for a touchdown to give the Bills an 18-3 lead.

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Fans reacted to Dalton being picked by Epenesa in Sunday's clash.

"Time to hang up the cleats, bud."

"Bro getting cooked in film for not scoring lol."

"This for everyone that thought the Bills was done for the year lol."

"This might be one of the greatest picks ever lmaooo."

"This old fu** is selling our playoff chances."

Dalton was named the starting quarterback for Sunday's game after Bryce Young suffered an ankle injury in last week’s game against the New York Jets. Dalton completed eight of his 14 pass attempts for 100 yards with an interception in the first half with the Bills leading 19-3.

Veteran Panthers quarterback trying to "enjoy" playing oppurunity in Abyce Young's absence

While Andy Dalton has been with the team for three years now, he has seen limited action this season. However, the 37-year-old is trying to enjoy every oppurunity he gets.

"Every opportunity I get to be out there I'm going to enjoy every moment,'' Dalton said. "You never know how many you're going to get.

"Obviously, you hate that Bryce got hurt, but I get to be in there and get to be a part of it and impact the game, so every chance you get you look forward to it."

Dalton came into Sunday's clash with a 1-5 record in his six starts for the Panthers in three years. The game against Bills was his first start of the season.

About the author

Chaitanya Prakash is an editor who covers US Sports at Sportskeeda. His first brush with sportswriting was in 2012 when the greatest football manager of all time, Sir Alex Ferguson, bid farewell to the beautiful game.

Although having started out professionally as a cricket writer in 2022, Chaitanya's curiosity and indiscriminate interest in all sports in general eventually introduced him to America's favorite pastime.

While Chaitanya's favorite player from the current crop is the dynamic Venezuelan Ronald Acuna Jr., his all-time favorite, however, is Pedro Martinez, for his self-belief and consistency. He also rates Jose Bautista's iconic bat flip in 2015 as his favorite moment in baseball history.

Chaitanya specializes in reporting on technical aspects of the game or analyzing patterns behind specific plays. He also likes pondering over players' self-assessments following the conclusion of a game as it helps him get an idea of how they think about the sport in general.

When not cheering for his favorites across sports, Chaitanya likes being transported to the past through a good war documentary or a historical documentary in general.

Know More

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Edited by Chaitanya Prakash