Bryce Young's tenacity
This was a toe-to-toe shootout between two fierce division rivals. Anyone who thought the Carolina Panthers would roll over was wide of the mark. That was thanks in no small part to Bryce Young's tenacity under center.
Young is responding to almost every challenge. He played fearlessly on the road and head coach Dave Canales called a masterful offensive game plan for the most part. Not for the first time since being reintroduced into the lineup, the Heisman Trophy winner executed his assignment perfectly.
The Atlanta Falcons had no answer for Young. They couldn't keep him contained in the pocket and couldn't stop him from going through his progressions. When scoring opportunities arrived at the business end of the field, he made them count with supreme conviction.
Young's played well this season. He saved the best for last in this one. The fact he turned around to celebrate a touchdown strike to tight end Tommy Tremble before it had been secured is proof positive of his swagger returning.
That was too cold, Bryce.@_bryce_young @StephenCurry30 pic.twitter.com/EZwArdAj1L
— NFL (@NFL) January 5, 2025
That's great news for the Panthers and bad news for the NFC South moving forward.
Bryce Young is the future
Bryce Young left no doubt. He is the Panthers' future at the quarterback position.
This was another accomplished performance from Young. His progression has been a breath of fresh air for this struggling franchise. They have some glaring problems to fix during a pivotal offseason for general manager Dan Morgan, but Carolina finally has a guy they can build around at football's most important position.
Dave Canales made Young earn it, there's no getting away from that. He found out plenty about the quarterback's resolve and inner drive to be the best. He's gone from potentially being one of the biggest busts in league history to a long-term option for the Panthers in a short timeframe.
It's an astonishing turnaround. Young never accepted his fate. He never wavered from the challenging task at hand. He knew that if another opportunity came, he was going to seize it with both hands.
With another offseason to grow, develop, and enhance his leadership credentials, there's just no telling what Young could accomplish in 2025. However, the Panthers must do their part by upgrading the skill positions during free agency and the draft.
Carolina's campaign descended into failure quickly. But make no mistake, they have their franchise quarterback in Young.