Saints dared Bryce Young to beat them, and it worked
The New Orleans Saints were not going to let Rico Dowdle win this game for the Carolina Panthers. Their game plan revolved around restricting the running back after his mesmerizing run of form in recent weeks. Simply put, they dared quarterback Bryce Young to beat them.
They put the game in Young's hands. The Saints thought that was their way of being more competitive, and it worked.
There was something amiss about the offense for most of the afternoon. Young looked jittery for the first time in weeks. He was second-guessing himself, which is never a good thing. And even though the Panthers got every lucky opportunity imaginable, it was swiftly followed by a mistake.
This was no more evident than when the ball was recovered after a blocked field goal, which ended in a Young fumble after his botched hand-off to Jimmy Horn Jr. Nic Scourton's sack turned the football over on downs. Still, Young threw a pick almost immediately on the following drive. It was just a complete mess, more in keeping with his production as a rookie and before his benching last season.
The Saints have faced Young enough times to know what he can and can't do. And they exposed his weaknesses in no uncertain terms.
Bryce Young took a significant step back
There is no getting around it; this represented a massive step back for Bryce Young. Old habits returned, and most of the team's failures came from the signal-caller. And a game that the Panthers were expected to win comfortably fell by the wayside.
Young has had some indifferent games earlier in the campaign, but this was arguably his worst. The accuracy was nonexistent. He wasn't making the correct reads, and the trust in his offensive line evaporated when pressure began to get through. And when that happens, the No. 1 overall selection in the 2023 NFL Draft is prone to mistakes.
This wasn't very pleasant to watch for fans. Young was outplayed by rookie Tyler Shough. The Panthers were outschemed and outexecuted from start to finish. It was an afternoon to forget, and Carolina was outclassed by a Saints team that had won only one game before visiting Bank of America Stadium.
It represented a brutal reality check for Young. This was a sign of the hard work ahead, and it does nothing to diminish concerns about whether he is the right man to lead this team long-term. There is still time to alleviate all doubts, but he can ill-afford another outing like this.