Bryce Young's outstanding first half
Bryce Young wasn't going to wait for this game to come to him. He was aggressive right out of the gate and maintained this mindset throughout an outstanding first half versus the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Young didn't make every throw. His receivers also suffered some drops in key moments. The Carolina Panthers didn't maximize their scoring opportunities effectively enough, but they were more than a match for the Buccaneers through the opening two quarters.
There isn't much that Young cannot handle these days. Even when the rushing attack was finding life difficult, the signal-caller made superb throws in crucial moments to keep the chains moving.
The Mater Dei High School product was fearless as Carolina went into the interval with a slender advantage. Young's good first-half display was also reflected in his statistics, which represented another big step in the right direction.
- 57.14 percent completion
- 150 passing yards
- 0 passing touchdowns
- 0 interceptions
- 0 sacks against
- 12 rushing yards
- 1 rushing touchdown
- 79.5 passer rating (ESPN)
Young is starting to look like the quarterback who took college football by storm at Alabama. It's not perfect, but the first half let Tampa Bay know they had a legitimate fight on their hands.
Bryce Young's mobility
One can understand why Dave Canales doesn't want Bryce Young running too much. Much has been made about his slender frame and lack of prototypical NFL size. Even so, his mobility in and out of the pocket remains his most underrated trait.
Young has no trouble getting out on the move when a play isn't developing as expected. This was evidenced by his eye-catching rushing touchdown in the first half. However, his maneuverability in the pocket was even more impressive in Week 13.
The signal-caller's elusiveness in tight spaces and ability to throw with supreme precision on the move was jaw-dropping at times. This was one of his biggest strengths in college and it's finally being utilized in the pros.
The growing trust between Young and Canales is allowing his creativity to flourish. Carolina's head coach wasn't too keen on throwing the former No. 1 overall selection into the fire. Andy Dalton's injury forced his hand, so taking the shackles off from a schematic standpoint and providing opportunities to make plays out of structure is having the desired effect.