5 major observations from Bryce Young's performance at the Buccaneers

Bryce Young bounced back in fine style against the Arizona Cardinals in Week 16. The Carolina Panthers quarterback is starting to look like someone who could potentially man the position long-term. A strong end to the campaign would all but secure his spot as the team's starting option in 2025.

Young isn't taking anything for granted. He's got some things to work on and is far from the finished article just yet. However, there are enormous positives to build upon after a superb turnaround since coming back into the lineup.

Next up for Young was a tricky-looking trip to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The signal-caller was without his premier right tackle and starting running back. It was a stiff challenge awaiting the Heisman Trophy winner. How he coped with the deck stacked against him would be another sign of how far he's come in a relatively short timeframe.

As it turned out, a valiant effort from Young was not enough to compensate for the deficiencies elsewhere. The Panthers fell to yet another loss and now sit at 12 defeats for their efforts this season with one contest remaining.

With this in mind, here are five major observations from Young's performance at Raymond James Stadium in Week 17.

Major observations from Bryce Young's performance against the Buccaneers

Bryce Young's opening statement

One could forgive Carolina Panthers fans for feeling apprehensive when the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' offense had their way on the opening drive. Baker Mayfield moved down the field effortlessly before finding Mike Evans in the end zone. That didn't phase Bryce Young whatsoever.

The former Alabama star was eager to make a statement of his own. Young's poise and precision were evident right out of the gate, displaying composure in the pocket and supreme accuracy to hit his targets with impressive conviction.

Young found Adam Thielen with a beautiful deep ball. Fellow undrafted free agent Jalen Coker also got in on the act with a decent catch following an eye-catching strike from his signal-caller.

As has been the case since his reintroduction, Young came through at the business end of the field. He found Thielen on a seam route to hit back immediately and remind the Buccaneers that the Panthers weren't going to go down without a fight.

This was only one drive, but it was another sign of Young's thriving confidence in the face of strong opposition.

Bryce Young's first-half flurries

It was difficult for the Carolina Panthers to keep up with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for most of the first half.

They unsurprisingly found a way to gain yards on the ground at will. Mike Evans was a constant thorn in the secondary's side. Things looked incredibly bleak with almost no momentum generated aside from the opening drive.

Bryce Young never stopped fighting. He was aggressive and kept giving his pass-catchers opportunities to make plays. There was almost no help from Carolina's rushing attack due to the absence of Chuba Hubbard, but the signal-caller produced some flurries that left reasons for encouragement.

This was no more evident than closing out the first half. Young found Adam Thielen on a deep touchdown pass and connected with the gifted veteran once again to get within field goal range. Unfortunately, this momentum came to an abrupt halt thanks to another wayward effort from Eddy Pineiro.

Young flashed enormous promise in the first half. This was reflected in the stats, which were arguably the best-case scenario considering the Panthers were missing both Hubbard and stud right tackle Taylor Moton.

• 53.33 percent completion
• 154 passing yards
• 2 touchdowns
• 0 interceptions
• 1 sack against
• 1 rushing yard
• 128.9 passer rating (ESPN)

The Panthers were down two scores at the break. But given the tricky circumstances, Young couldn't have done much more.

Bryce Young's most trusted source

With the Panthers' offense under-strength, Bryce Young needed his most trusted source more than ever. As is typically the case, wide receiver Adam Thielen rose to the occasion.

Thielen and Young developed a tremendous rapport last season. The veteran wideout was sorely missed after going to injured reserve with a hamstring problem. It's no coincidence that the quarterback's production took off when he came back into the mix.

This dependable security blanket came to the fore early and often in this one. Young knows where Thielen is going to be at all times. The timing is exemplary between the two thanks to a combination of outstanding distribution and exceptional route running. The Buccaneers had no answer for this pair throughout.

The former undrafted free agent out of Minnesota State eventually finished the contest with five receptions from six targets for 110 receiving yards and two touchdowns. If the Panthers are intent on moving forward with Young as their starting quarterback in 2025, general manager Dan Morgan would be wise to keep Thielen around, too.

Bryce Young's pocket comfort

This was not an easy afternoon at the office for Bryce Young. The Carolina Panthers got into a hole early and couldn't recover. Their defense never gave them a fighting chance and the run game was non-existent en route to another demoralizing loss.

Having a hefty advantage meant Tampa Bay Buccaneers head coach Todd Bowles could throw some exotic blitz packages at Young in pursuit of generating pressure consistently. This presented a different challenge — one that required the Mater Dei High School product to put his improved pocket comfort to good use.

If there was one positive above all else to take from Young's resurgence, it's his confidence to step up in the pocket and get his feet set whether opposing defenders are coming at him or not. There are very few wasted movements from the signal-caller these days. Everything is done with purpose. That's a far cry from how things looked earlier in his fledgling NFL career.

It might not work all the time, but Young's pocket comfort — whether it stepping into his throws under pressure or recognizing danger on the move — represents a solid foundation to progress further during the 2025 offseason.

How Bryce Young can take the next step

Bryce Young is making decent progress. Things look much more promising now than at any stage since he was drafted No. 1 overall in 2023. However, there are things to accomplish before he takes that next step.

This centers on making tight window sideline throws in key moments. Young can sometimes over or underthrow his receivers on sideline throws. It's not by much, but the fine margins in the NFL tend to result in incompletions more often than not.

It's slightly concerning, but it's also fixable.

Young's timing will increase with more experience. The Panthers must do their part by improving the weapons on offense. If the right recruits are acquired and the quarterback learns how to find the sidelines with more consistency, the better Carolina's long-term chances will be.

Young was always fighting a losing battle in this one. There are areas to clean up, but he was far from Carolina's biggest problem once again. That is probably no solace to the player, but the silver linings were few and far between on head coach Dave Canales' return to Raymond James Stadium.

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