Bryce Young took his fair share of criticism throughout the week. The Carolina Panthers quarterback was exposed against the New Orleans Saints during a lackluster Week 10 outing, raising concerns that he might not have what it takes to take this franchise where it wants to go.
Young looked immensely determined during preparations for Carolina's road game versus the Atlanta Falcons. Tetairoa McMillan noted something different about the signal-caller, and head coach Dave Canales also acknowledged this fact. Amid all the media skepticism, belief in the Alabama product hasn't wavered in the building.
The No. 1 overall selection in the 2023 NFL Draft has enjoyed plenty of success against the Falcons throughout his career to date. Young was nothing short of sensational in Carolina's win at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium last year, so fans were cautiously optimistic about improvements arriving against an underachieving squad coming into the game on the back of four straight losses.
The stakes are gradually rising for Young. As it turned out, the quarterback turned in arguably the best performance of his professional career to seal a memorable victory in overtime.
With this in mind, here are five significant observations from Young's performance in Week 11 against the Falcons.
Major observations from Bryce Young's performance against the Falcons
Bryce Young's injury scare
Carolina Panthers fans collectively held their breath when Bryce Young went down late in the first quarter. The quarterback knew nickel cornerback Billy Bowman Jr. was coming on the blitz, and he communicated that to his offensive line. They didn't get the message, and the Falcons' defensive back got a clear run on the signal-caller en route to delivering a brutal hit.
Young stayed down, and the concerns were immediate. He went into the locker room for additional tests. The Panthers listed him as questionable to return with an ankle issue, which left Carolina facing the prospect of relying heavily on veteran backup Andy Dalton once again.
Thankfully, there was a positive development soon after. Young came running out of the locker room and didn't end up missing a snap. The relief was palpable among fans and teammates. And more importantly, it didn't appear that the ankle problem hindered his ability to navigate the pocket effectively.
Considering Young missed time earlier this season with a high ankle sprain suffered against the New York Jets, fans had every right to be worried about Young's mobility. Fortunately for everyone connected to the Panthers, it turned out to be a major scare but nothing more.
Well, at least until a little later.