5 major observations from Bryce Young's performance against the Dolphins

Bryce Young's rollercoaster first half

In fairness to Bryce Young, he displayed some bounce-back qualities after a torrid start to the contest. The Carolina Panthers scored 10 unanswered points to get back into the game at halftime. This was a far cry from how the contest started, which tells fans that there is still some fight in this squad.

Young also got it together. The Panthers relied heavily on running back Rico Dowdle, and everything started to click. Young made some decent throws, especially his well-timed delivery to wide receiver Xavier Legette for Carolina's opening touchdown.

It wasn't perfect, not by any stretch of the imagination. However, it could have been a lot worse, considering how things began.

This was reflected in the stats. They were largely impressive, but the two turnovers absolutely destroyed Young and the Panthers right from the start.

• 66.66 percent completion
• 110 passing yards
• 1 touchdown
• 1 interception
• 1 sack against
• 1 fumble lost
• 82.6 passer rating (ESPN)

There was a glimmer of light at the end of a very dark tunnel. All hope was not lost. For all Young's faults, one cannot accuse the Heisman Trophy winner of throwing in the towel, which would have been pretty easy to do.

The Bryce Young connection with Tetairoa McMillan is prolific

There weren't many bright spots, especially in the early stages. However, Bryce Young's connection with rookie first-round wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan is officially prolific.

McMillan, the No. 8 overall selection in the 2025 NFL Draft, looks like a superstar. He's the only Panthers' pass-catcher capable of making plays consistently. When Young needed a big play in a crucial moment, there was only one place the signal-caller was looking.

There is an assurance and confidence within Young whenever he directs the football in McMillan's direction. It doesn't have to be a perfect throw. If it's in the wideout's vicinity, he'll come down with it more often than not. This cannot be said of many Carolina receivers in recent memory, and it's clear that this connection is blossoming as the campaign progresses.

The Panthers have numerous issues to address if they want to salvage anything from the campaign. Fortunately, it seems like general manager Dan Morgan has struck gold with McMillan. And there's just no telling how bad things would be for Young if Carolina had gone in a different direction.

Young and McMillan connected on six catches from eight targets for 73 receiving yards. The receiver is firmly in the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year conversation, and hopefully, his bond with the quarterback is something that can grow moving forward.