CHARLOTTE — Dave Canales opened with a joke to lighten the mood, albeit one only subjectively funny.

"Great practice in the rain," the Panthers head coach began, his ever-present smile on his face. "I promised the guys it will not be raining in Vegas when we go out there...as we're playing indoors."

Dad jokes aside, Canales' point stands; the conditions on Wednesday in Charlotte could not be more different from what the Panthers will face on Sunday. While rain, venturing into a deluge, fell for the majority of Wednesday's practice session, the weather report on Sunday in Las Vegas calls for clear skies and a high of 93, as the desert is prone to. But none of it matters, because the Raiders play in a dome.

It's why the Panthers turned up the crowd noise again this week, preparing guys for the atmosphere they will be facing this weekend. The response was one Canales wanted to see, even on a day when a few vets took the time off, and the team stayed in shells, as opposed to pads.

"The focus, the intensity was there," Canales said. "That's two Wednesdays in a row, just holding the guys up to a standard and then holding each other up to a standard of how we practice, the full speed effort, chasing everything down, attempts on the ball, all things across the board.

"It was just a really great day of focus in that way."

Andy Dalton's experience a key

When Andy Dalton straps on his helmet Sunday, he'll be playing in his 175th career game and making his 168th start, spanning back to 2011.

In other words, he's seen some stuff.

"I mean, he's played a lot of football in this league, big games, you know, and a lot of experience to just kind of say, hey, this is kind of what it looks like, and this is how it feels like," receiver Adam Thielen said of the quarterback on Wednesday.

Dalton will be getting his first start since Week 3 of the 2023 season, but his years of experience bring a sense of knowledge and trust the rest of the offense can lean on in the huddle.

"A lot," running back Miles Sanders answered as to how much Dalton's experience can make a difference. "I mean, the way he carries himself in the huddle and the way he operates the huddle, he's making sure everything's straight. Even when he's calling the plays, he's making sure and reminding players to do certain stuff just so we're not breaking out the huddle and everybody's like just second guessing.

"Everybody's breaking the huddle confident knowing what they got to do. And that's the perks of having a veteran quarterback in the huddle."

This week of practice, beginning Wednesday, is the first time Dalton has taken the first-team reps in Canales' offense. But he's been a constant presence, not just when required, but even just when appreciated, whether for teammates, Bryce Young specifically or the locker room. Coupled with his history in the league, it makes for an easy face to trust on Sunday.

"He's just, the guy he is, the guy he's been through the last two seasons for this organization, for this team, for Bryce, for me as an individual," Thielen said. "A lot of respect and a lot of love for him."

MAC foes Mad Maxx and Moton

When Taylor Moton lines up on Sunday, he'll be facing off against one of the best in the game, Maxx Crosby. It's a rare challenge for the Carolina Panthers tackle, since the two teams are only guaranteed a face-off every four years. The last time Moton went toe-to-toe against Crosby was the 2020 COVID season.

That game, a season-opening 34-30 loss for the Panthers, Crosby had 30 pass-rush snaps, with two pressures, no sacks. Since that game, Crosby has gone on to have three back-to-back-to-back career years, including making three Pro Bowls.

Moton is heading into Sunday's game against Crosby with more than just one game to draw from. The two faced off twice in college, with Moton's Western Michigan team beating Crosby's Eastern Michigan Eagles both times.

"So, another MAC guy. It's been a couple of times," Moton joked Wednesday.

The years of familiarity between the two gives Moton an appreciation and understanding of what the Raiders pass rusher presents.

"Great athlete, obviously you said high motive, very technical," Moton said. "He's got a lot of great attributes that I'm taking a week to study and be at my best for Andy (Dalton) and the rest of the offense and this Panthers organization."

Dalton, who has played against Crosby twice, including one start in 2022, has never taken a sack against the pass rusher. In 2022, he went 20-27 when Crosby was pass-rushing, for 214 yards and two touchdowns.

Despite putting up such a stat line, and a win, Dalton is walking into the Raiders stadium well aware of what Crosby and company presents.

"I mean, they play hard on defense. It's kind of a relentless effort," Dalton said. "It's not just what they're doing initially, it's the high motor that they play with and, you know, especially for Maxx.

"I mean, he's one of the best rushers in the league and, you know, it's the way he plays kind of feeds over to the other guys."