Bryce Young under pressure
The Carolina Panthers' offensive line has been a real positive throughout the season. They picked a bad time to have arguably their worst performance of the campaign.
Bryce Young was under constant duress. The Dallas Cowboys smelled blood early and seized the initiative accordingly. All-Pro edge rusher Micah Parsons was an absolute menace, causing havoc from the 3-technique on the interior to bamboozle Carolina's protection and its signal-caller.
Young never looked comfortable in the pocket in this one. The Panthers gave up six sacks. Some of that was down to the player holding onto the football for too long. But others were down to costly errors in protection.
This is probably a blip rather than the start of anything more concerning. However, it proved beyond doubt that unless Young has adequate time to go through his progressions, there's almost no chance of the quarterback getting into a rhythm.
Carolina's offense stuttered and couldn't recover from some individual mistakes. The favorite tag was something this team isn't ready to handle just yet.
Bryce Young's disappointing afternoon at the office
This was not in keeping with the way Bryce Young performed in recent weeks. There was something missing across the board. The Panthers didn't look prepared for battle and were undone by sloppy execution in all phases.
Young will carry the can as always. He fought valiantly until the end, but the eventual result was obvious from a long way out. This was extremely disappointing when one considers the expectations surrounding the Panthers heading into the clash.
It's a work in progress for Young and the Panthers. They are growing together and showing signs of life. That wasn't evident versus the Cowboys, but struggling moments like this are always likely until more quality in key position groups arrives.
Young won't look back on his production in Week 15 with any great fondness. Four turnovers aren't going to win many football games. Ball security proved to be the difference between the two teams at Bank of America Stadium. Something that was immediately acknowledged by head coach Dave Canales in his post-game media availability.
This was a poor showing from Young. How he bounces back next weekend is critical.