There has been a lot of unfair criticism of number one pick Bryce Young but the fact is the Carolina Panthers haven’t put their franchise quarterback in a position to succeed on the field.
First off the entire offense looks chaotic from the play calling to the execution as a whole, a glaring issue is how predictable the play calling has been.
There isn’t any situational awareness right now and Young has to account for it in his pre snap reads and audibles. In their Monday night contest you could hear him yelling “Kill! Kill!” multiple times, indicating that the initial play called wasn’t going to work against the New Orleans Saints defensive scheme.
They aren’t really taking any shots down the field, through two starts, Young is averaging 4.2 yards per attempt. This is the fewest yards per throw a quarterback has averaged through their first two career starts in the Super Bowl era, per NFL Research.
It’s not just the limited deep balls though, right now the Panthers also don’t have a capable playmaker who can pick up yards after the catch. There aren’t any true game breakers at the skill positions and it’s really limiting this unit’s upside, it’s also hindering Young’s development.
We saw this with Trevor Lawrence in his rookie season with the Jaguars, when they lacked explosiveness and talent. The franchise put in the effort to bring in weapons, but Adam Thielen isn’t a number one option at this stage in his career, Jonathan Mingo may be a couple of years away, the verdict is still out on Terrace Marshall Jr, and Hayden Hurst is more of a safety blanket.
The interior of the offensive line has been so banged up, running between the tackles isn’t even an option, and Miles Sanders and Chubba Hubbard are like scat backs, taking the outside lanes and trying to turn up field and find daylight elsewhere.
When the Panthers signed Sanders it was considered a big splash, the young running back coming off his first 1000 yard season in philly, looked poised to really breakout in a featured role. However there just haven’t been many holes, but the Saints also did the same thing to Derrick Henry just saying.
Head Coach Frank Reich seems confident in his offense and their ability to improve.
“Listen, head coach, quarterback, we’re gonna take the heat, and that just comes with the territory, so you own that, and you understand that when you’re in that position, and Bryce understands that for the position he’s in,” Reich said.
“I can tell you this, certainly our struggle on offense, it’s not one person. Again, we’ll look at the film, but I thought Bryce did some really positive things, made some plays with his feet, made some good decisions, made good throws, showed plenty of things that we want to see, so I was encouraged by that,” said Reich per NFL.com.
We have seen flashes of what they’re capable of, that last scoring drive against the Saints that ended with Young hitting Thielen for a touchdown.
The “Bryce Young is a bust” talk is absolutely ridiculous though, he’s under constant pressure at the line and isn’t taking sacks for huge losses. He’s been good about throwing the ball away, and his play recognition is well beyond most rookies and some vets.
Young has also used his legs when defenses give up running lanes, he’s handling these obstacles in stride and it’s showing what kind of leader he will be.
The Panthers have found their guy, now they need to continue to build around him.
Podcasts/Media
-
Podcast
/ 8 hours agoThe Desmond Johnson Show – Sneak Peek – Fri July 26th 2024
In this Sneak Peek…Desmond interviews When They Were Giants Filmmakers Chris Lea and Ciff...
-
Podcast
/ 16 hours agoInside the Vault – 2 Fans In The Stands – Thurs July 26th 2024
Hosted by Ryan Smith CJ and Tony hosts of 2 Fans in the Stands...
-
Podcast
/ 4 days agoTriad All Stars – Where Are They Now – Arkansas State QB Jaylen Raynor – Tues July 23rd 2024
Hosted by Ryan Smith Former East Forsyth and current sophomore QB at Arkansas State...
-
Podcast
/ 5 days agoInside The Vault – Ep 41 – Joe Person – Mon July 22nd 2024
Hosted by Ryan Smith. The inaugural guest on Inside the Vault returns as former...
WWE
-
WWE
/ 4 weeks agoThe Bloodline’s Ruthless Betrayal: Solo Sikoa Leads the Charge
Oh boy, where to begin? In the heart-pounding world of WWE, alliances are forged...
-
Podcast
/ 5 months agoDrop The Mike Podcast – Lodi Interview & Revolution Recap – Weds March 7th 2024
Lodi, former WCW wrestler, joins Drop the Mike this week for a special interview...
-
Podcast
/ 5 months agoDrop the Mike Podcast – Ep 75 – Weds Feb 14th 2024
The slap heard around the world! Join host Michael Davis and John Anthony (from...
-
Podcast
/ 6 months agoDrop The Mike Podcast – Wed Feb 7th 2024
The Rock or Cody Rhodes? Michael Davis is joined by Mike Mele (Mouthing Off...
NFL/Carolina Panthers
-
NFL
/ 9 hours agoDiontae Johnson explains how he’s building chemistry with new QB Bryce Young
Published by On3 The Panthers knew they needed to build around quarterback Bryce Young,...
-
NFL
/ 1 day agoPanthers GM Dan Morgan: Bryce Young is ‘committed to be great’
Published by On3 Panthers quarterbackBryce Young knows he needs to dazzle this season to...
-
NFL
/ 1 week agoStephon Gilmore insists he’s still a starter as he remains in free agency ahead of training camp
Published by On3 As his former teams prepare to begin training camp this week,...
-
NFL
/ 1 week agoAdam Thielen explains impact of Diontae Johnson signing for Carolina Panthers
Published by On3 The Panthers made a concerted effort to improve their offense this...