Bryce Young turned in arguably his best performance of the campaign in Week 6 against the Dallas Cowboys. He protected the football and relied heavily on the Carolina Panthers' ground attack. Of course, he led yet another game-winning drive, which began with more than six minutes on the clock and ended with undrafted rookie Ryan Fitzgerald hitting a walk-off field goal.
This was the Panthers' third victory in their last four outings. Confidence is growing, and the unwavering confidence in Young to deliver the goods is starting to bear fruit. There is a blueprint for success now, and the signal-caller is looking far more assured without having to chance deficits.
Just how much longer this continues is debatable. The Panthers and Young have a good chance to secure a winning record through seven games against the New York Jets, who have yet to taste victory this season. Things haven't started well for new head coach Aaron Glenn, but any defense marshaled by former Carolina interim boss Steve Wilks is going to be prepared.
A huge test awaited Young at MetLife Stadium. As it turned out, the Panthers managed to win. But for Young, it unfortunately came at a price.
With this in mind, here are five significant observations from Young's performance in Week 7.
Major observations from Bryce Young's performance against the Jets
Bryce Young's methodical approach
The Carolina Panthers opted for a methodical approach rather than trying anything too extravagant. They didn't have to do much else with dual-threat quarterback Justin Fields going through some significant complications, which enabled Bryce Young to pick his spots and take what the New York Jets' defense gave him.
It was a dink and dunk-type strategy, especially in the early going. Young didn't manage to connect whenever he took shots downfield, with his miss to sixth-round rookie Jimmy Horn Jr. in the first half his most glaring error. Fortunately for the Panthers, he's getting a lot better at deciphering defenses quickly before the snap and making the correct reads in the short to intermediate areas of the field.
This should be Young's preferred approach moving forward. The Panthers don't need the Heisman Trophy winner to be a hero all the time. They require him to keep everything ticking over, play within his means, and make the plays needed in key moments when the situation dictates.
That's about it, especially when going up against a genuinely lackluster offense in the Jets, whose frustrated fans are rapidly losing faith in a confidence-sapped Fields based on the boos emanating from the stands at MetLife Stadium.