5 major observations from Bryce Young's performance at the Falcons in Week 18

Bryce Young had one final opportunity to cement his status as the Carolina Panthers' starting quarterback in 2025. All signs point to that eventuality after some impressive displays over the second half of the campaign. However, there is an inkling of doubt until further notice.

Keeping continuity is crucial. Young hasn't been perfect by any stretch of the imagination. However, he is growing in confidence and won back the locker room's belief in his capabilities. Even head coach Dave Canales — who didn't exactly throw his full support behind the signal-caller until recently — seems to be coming around.

The Panthers have plenty of issues to resolve this offseason. General manager Dan Morgan must build around Young rather than chasing another quarterback. If the former Alabama standout fluffs his lines next season, the decision to go in a different direction is an easy one.

Young was looking to build additional positivity at the Atlanta Falcons in Carolina's regular-season finale. The Panthers' division rivals were aiming to win and hope the Tampa Bay Buccaneers lost to reach the postseason. Playing the role of spoiler was the best Canales' squad could accomplish before going their separate ways.

As it turned out, Young turned on the style to lead the Panthers to a memorable overtime triumph and end their campaign on the best-possible note.

With this in mind, here are five major observations from Young's performance at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Week 18.

Major observations from Bryce Young's performance at the Falcons

Bryce Young's decisiveness

Bryce Young was hesitant beyond measure before his benching heading into Week 3. That is not the case anymore.

One of the biggest positives to emerge from the campaign centers on Young's decisiveness. He's playing with far more conviction and everyone is benefitting. Whether it be throwing the football or deciding to take off when things aren't developing as expected, his quick processing is being matched by sound decision-making at long last.

It doesn't come off all the time, but it's a huge plus from Young's perspective. Having the decisiveness to trust his instincts and rely on his preparations throughout the week is only going to serve him well moving forward.

Young is starting to look the part. This doesn't happen with improved self-belief and an extra level of comfort — traits he's done well to accomplish over the second half of 2024.

Bryce Young's superb first half

Bryce Young wasn't planning on taking things easy with the offseason in sight. The quarterback set the tone right out of the gate en route to a polished first-half display to keep the Carolina Panthers competitive. There were a couple of misses, but one cannot be anything other than impressed by his ability to come through when it counts.

Young made some eye-catching throws over the opening two quarters. Adam Thielen, Miles Sanders, and Xavier Legette were the primary beneficiaries. It's doing them good to know when they get open, they finally have a signal-caller who can get the football where it needs to be.

The Mater Dei High School product controlled the line of scrimmage well. Young timed his throws superbly more often than not and also displayed his underrated athleticism to go in for a rushing score to further enhance his influence.

His impressive first half was reflected in the statistics. More importantly, the Panthers and Young were giving the Atlanta Falcons plenty to think about.

• 78.57 percent completion
• 106 passing yards
• 1 passing touchdown
• 0 interceptions
• 0 sacks against
• 1 rushing yard (1 rushing TD)
• 122.0 passer rating (ESPN)

Most fans were more concerned with draft positioning than securing a final-day victory. That was not an opinion shared by Young, who led from the front and his teammates willingly followed.

Bryce Young's pocket presence

Bryce Young is growing in stature. He might be one of the league's smallest quarterbacks and an outlier for the position, but he's showing that size doesn't matter if the pocket presence makes up for it.

Much like everything else, Young's improvements in this area are night and day compared to anything put on film as a rookie. There is no more panic from the signal-caller. He's poised and composed even when pressure arrives. He's able to manipulate the pocket through no wasted movements and being aware of his surroundings at all times.

Head coach Dave Canales and his staff spent significant time working on Young's footwork throughout their first year with the team. It took time for everything to click, but they are starting to see the fruits of their labor.

Young was a pocket assassin at Alabama. Many wondered if his lack of prototypical height would restrict this skill set in the pros. After some early jitters, things are looking much more promising for the No. 1 overall selection in the 2023 NFL Draft.

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'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.

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