Bryce Young's fiirst half
It was a first half to forget for the Carolina Panthers' offense and Bryce Young. Aside from some early flashes from running back Chuba Hubbard, it was largely underwhelming, and it wasn't surprising to see head coach Dave Canales' squad down by 10 at the break.
Young didn't have much chance to do anything. He was pressured almost constantly, and opportunities downfield were scarce. The former Alabama standout had to move the ball quickly with screens and short passes that didn't go far. But it was all he could do under the circumstances.
The Packers seized the initiative. Carolina's defense performed better in the first half, but the offense couldn't turn their two turnovers into anything more than three points.
On the road, that just won't cut it.
Nothing much was clicking for Young and the passing attack. This was reflected in his first-half stats, which spoke to the disjointed offensive operation against a Green Bay defense that smelled blood almost from the outset.
- 52.63 percent completion (10/19)
- 65 passing yards
- 0 touchdowns
- 1 interception
- 2 sacks against
- 0 rushing yards
- 38.3 passer rating (ESPN)
Things could only get better, or so fans hoped. But the Panthers and Young were already fighting against the tide.
Bryce Young doesn't trust his offensive line
Ikem Ekwonu is still out with a torn patellar tendon. Taylor Moton's comeback ended with a season-ending fractured fibula against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. If that wasn't enough, prolific left guard Damien Lewis was also ruled out in Week 8.
What Bryce Young had to rely on was a bunch of underperforming linemen who have often crumbled this season. The Packers knew it, too, and threw constant pressure at the quarterback with little resistance.
Young tried to escape. He tried to improvise and get out of structure to make things happen. But he didn't have much time to do that, thanks to the porous protection in front of him.
The usual suspects were abysmal. Young clearly doesn't trust them, and neither does the coaching staff. This led to a little extra hesitancy under center, which is never a good sign for any signal-caller.
Carolina invested a lot in its offensive line. Injuries have decimated the unit, and the depth is lackluster at best. That's a dangerous combination, and Young is suffering as a result.
Hopefully, Lewis will be back after the mini-bye, which will help enormously. But until Young shows complete faith in the others, the same complications will unfortunately keep coming up.
And opposing teams can smell it from a mile away.
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