Bryce Young looks like a completely different quarterback after regaining the starting job for the Carolina Panthers. Benched earlier in the season, Young led the Panthers to wins over the New Orleans Saints and New York Giants before impressive showings in losses to the Kansas City Chiefs, Philadelphia Eagles, and Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Week 15 was a disappointment with a blowout loss to the Dallas Cowboys. Young was sacked six times and threw two picks.
That game is an outlier, however. Young’s sack rate has plummeted, he’s throwing the ball deeper (intended air yards per attempt has increased by 0.8), and he’s having to throw the ball away far less often.
Carolina hasn’t been a good situation for a rookie or second-year quarterback. Yes, Young has disappointed overall, but there are glimmers of hope for the Panthers that he can become a franchise quarterback if they put him in a position to succeed.
Former Panthers head coach Ron Rivera is certainly optimistic.
Speaking to RG, Rivera said, “He’s playing with confidence, I think he has a better feel, better handle for the offensive playbook. You see him going through his progression quickly. You see him getting the ball out of his hands…
“His release time is below the league average right around 2.85 seconds. He’s getting the ball out quicker, which is very beneficial, because when you get the ball out of your hands, you’re not taking sacks. Those are positives as well. He hasn’t been sacked as much as he has in the past either.”
Bold Coaching
Rivera was also full of praise for Dave Canales’ decision to bench Young. Carolina has worked to establish the run in Young’s second stint as the starter, which has given him a little more time to work from the pocket.
In small samples, Young had considerable success running play-action last season (7.40 yards per attempt). Canales should experiment with increasing the number of play-action calls through the final few weeks.
Carolina has time to try things out over the remaining games. Little over a month ago, Young looked like a historic bust. It’s only a handful of games, but he has shown enough to suggest he could be a long-term answer at quarterback if the Panthers build the right offense around him.
