Bryce Young returned as the Carolina Panthers starting quarterback in Week 8 for the first time since he was benched, making his first start since Week 2. Young came in for Andy Dalton, who missed the game with a finger injury after he was involved in a car accident earlier in the week.
Against the Denver Broncos on Sunday, Young and the offense did not much look different from how they did during the first two weeks of the season, which led to the second-year quarterback’s benching.
Young went 24 of 37 for 224 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions versus Denver’s defense. The Panthers scored on their opening possession and put up 14 total points, but the second touchdown came during garbage time when the game was long over.
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The Panthers’ offense was so underwhelming that after the game, Broncos head coach Sean Payton credited his defense while criticizing Carolina’s offense.
“That’s not a good offense we played,” Payton said at his postgame presser. “It’s just the truth. We expected that. We’re going to see a lot better teams.'”
Young has struggled since the Panthers drafted him No. 1 overall in the 2023 NFL Draft. As a rookie, Young completed just 59.8 percent of his passes for 2,877 yards, 11 touchdowns, and 10 interceptions as the Panthers went 2-15. To start the 2024 campaign, Young threw no touchdowns to three interceptions before he was benched for Dalton after two games.
One former coach at the University of Alabama, where Young played college football and won the Heisman Trophy, believes that the Panthers, not Young, are the problem.
“That’s not a good offense we played,” the coach said according to Dianna Russini of The Athletic. “It’s just the truth. We expected that. We’re going to see a lot better teams.'”
Spoke to a former Alabama coach about Bryce Young.
“He has so much talent and intelligence. I don’t know what’s going on there in Carolina, but he needs a new program.”— Dianna Russini (@DMRussini) October 28, 2024
Young saw much more success during his time with the Crimson Tide. Young established himself as one of the best college quarterbacks in the nation as he recorded an 80-12 touchdown-interception ratio and won the most prestigious award.
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Even after a tremendous college career, there were concerns regarding Young’s height and size entering the NFL. Those concerns have manifested in Young’s early career struggles.
Could Young play better if he was on another organization?
There’s a strong chance he could at least be slightly better. After all, there’s a reason beyond just the quarterback that the Panthers have finished with the worst record in the NFL in consecutive seasons. Still, Young has not helped the Panthers improve. Young could find a better fit elsewhere, but he will have to prove himself there too.
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