Bryce Young is coming to life at the best possible time. And heading into Week 17 against the Seattle Seahawks, the Carolina Panthers had a playoff spot firmly in their sights atop the NFC South.
Young was outstanding last time out against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He's now got 21 touchdowns on the year, which is comfortably a career high. Momentum is pointing up for the Alabama product, but going up against a Mike Macdonald defense was arguably his most difficult test of the campaign.
The Seahawks came into the game as the NFC's No. 1 playoff seed. Their offense is playing well, but Macdonald's defense is nothing short of phenomenal. Young knew that he'd be in for a challenging four quarters, but the Panthers have knocked off a few Super Bowl contenders already this season.
That provided some hope, but nothing but supreme execution and a collective effort would do. Young would need to be at the forefront, and his promising growth throughout the year was another reason for encouragement.
As it turned out, Young and the Panthers weren't at the races. The Seahawks ran out comfortable winners, meaning everything is on the line next weekend.
With this in mind, here are five significant observations from Young's performance in Carolina's regular-season home finale at Bank of America Stadium.
Major observations from Bryce Young's performance against the Seahawks
Bryce Young's early rhythm
It was clear from early on that Bryce Young was going to be in for a tricky afternoon at the office. The Seattle Seahawks' defense was flying around the field, and the quarterback couldn't get into any rhythm during the opening exchanges as a result.
Young barely had time to finish his drop-backs. Pressure arrived frequently and creatively. Head coach Dave Canales kept things conservative, calling several screens or short passes to no avail. The Seahawks were ready for anything, snuffing out the Carolina Panthers' offensive game plan with ruthless efficiency.
When Young cannot build any positivity early in games, problems can arise. The Heisman Trophy winner is composed enough to take the rough with the smooth, but this was no ordinary defense he was up against.
The Seahawks are relentless and merciless. They got the signal-caller off his spot consistency and didn't allow him to settle. The feet were rarely set, and there was no time to go through his progressions.
If Young and the Panthers were under any illusions about the size of their task, the first few drives let them know in no uncertain terms. And had it not been for an impressive start defensively, things would have looked a lot worse.