Bryce Young's sloppy first half
It wasn't a good start. The same trend continued throughout most of the first half during a period that saw the Carolina Panthers go into the break with a 17-point deficit.
Bryce Young didn't get much going. He didn't give the ball up again, which was something, but aside from Tetairoa McMillan's contribution, it was relatively pedestrian.
There's just no fluidity. No team in the league makes football look harder than the Panthers. They were unprepared and incapable of executing effectively. Young's frustrations were visibly growing, and the tempo was not where it needed to be.
This was reflected in the first-half stats, where Young was concerned. It made for grim viewing, and they typified how things went for the Panthers in another half to forget.
- 64.7 percent completion
- 111 passing yards (6.5 average)
- 0 touchdowns
- 1 interception
- 1 sack against
- 3 rushing yards (1 carry)
- 1 fumble lost
- 58.7 passer rating (ESPN)
Young was chasing the issue. That came from his own hand, but it didn't make things any easier. These slow starts are killing this team, and it doesn't look like it's getting better anytime soon.
A big effort was needed to turn things around. But fans weren't holding out much hope.
Bryce Young isn't in sync with key men
Something is amiss. Last weekend's poor execution and complete lack of communication were put down to early rust. But it didn't take long to realize that the same problems were going to rear their ugly head against the Arizona Cardinals.
There is a real problem between Bryce Young and starting center Austin Corbett. They are rarely aligned. They are often off time. That is unacceptable and should have been resolved pretty early in their preparations for the new campaign.
The play calls are also off. Dave Canales either can't decide which plays to go with or is not capable of communicating the message quickly enough. Either way, it's a bad look, and these complications are avoidable.
Just what the Panthers were doing all summer is anyone's guess. It certainly wasn't prepared effectively, and they are suffering accordingly. Whether they can enhance this cohesion in time for next weekend's game against the Atlanta Falcons is anyone's guess, but it needs to happen soon.
Having so many key men out of sync is stuff you don't even see on competent high school teams. This is the sport's pinnacle, and the same problems keep cropping up over and over again.
Fans deserve better.