Bryce Young's made some encouraging strides since becoming the Carolina Panthers starting quarterback again. He looks more confident and executes Dave Canales' offensive strategy with aplomb. The head coach had no option but to keep him under center upon the team's bye week return.
Young's had some relatively easy outings over the last fortnight. Sunday's test represented a different challenge entirely - one he needed to come through with flying colors.
The Kansas City Chiefs' defense is one of the league's most dominant. Coordinator Steve Spagnuolo has an abundance of talent at his disposal and always finds a way to exploit weak links. They fancied their chances of bouncing back accordingly following a first defeat of the campaign last time out at the Buffalo Bills.
It's a high-stakes situation for Young. Canales hasn't committed to anything long-term with the former Alabama star just yet. Carolina's quarterback plans are a week-to-week evaluation, but the second-year pro is in the driving seat right now. How much longer this lasts depends on his performance levels when the competition gets tougher.
Young's destiny is in his hands once again. As it turned out, a spirited effort from Young and the Panthers was not enough as they were undone right at the death.
With this in mind, here are five major observations from Young's performance in Week 12 against the Chiefs.
Major observations from Bryce Young's performance vs. the Chiefs
Bryce Young's early rhythm
Keeping up with Patrick Mahomes looked like it was going to be a tall order for Bryce Young based on the first drive. The Kansas City Chiefs quarterback moved the football effortlessly downfield before tight end Noah Gray was afforded the freedom of Bank of America Stadium for the touchdown. However, the Heisman Trophy winner got into an encouraging early rhythm himself.
Young looked composed in the pocket and managed to get the football out on time. He was a lot looser, which stems from improved confidence in his ability and that of his playmakers. Having Adam Thielen's reliability back in the lineup also helped, especially after undrafted free agent rookie Jalen Coker was ruled out with a quad issue.
The Carolina Panthers were unable to convert their red-zone opportunities into touchdowns early on. Even so, the way Young moved the chains and seized opportunities to gain yards through the air effectively versus a top-tier defense was encouraging during the opening exchanges.
Bryce Young's encouraging first half
This trend continued throughout the first half. It wasn't perfect, but Bryce Young's enhanced composure to go through his progressions effectively whether pressure was in his face or not was night and day from the signal-caller's efforts earlier in the campaign.
The Carolina Panthers kept things relatively competitive versus the Kansas City Chiefs in the first half. Settling for field goals was never going to cut it, which resulted in a 20-9 deficit at the interval despite some pleasing moments on offense.
It was a different story defensively. That's no slight on Young, who looked the part and emerged from the first half with credit in tough circumstances.
This was reflected in Young's statistics. It was a huge step in the right direction, which enabled the Panthers to hang in there when things could have gotten out of hand otherwise.
- 66.67 percent completion
- 177 passing yards
- 0 touchdowns
- 0 interceptions
- 1 sack against
- 9 rushing yards
- 106.8 passer rating (ESPN)
Young's self-belief is growing. That's not up for discussion with a pretty good sample size to go off now. The Panthers aren't blessed with much talent on either side of the football, which makes the quarterback's recent ascension all the more impressive.
Bryce Young is growing in stature
Bryce Young is not the same quarterback these days. The decision to take him out of the firing line for a much-needed breather looks like a masterstroke by head coach Dave Canales. One that's brought a new lease of life from the signal-caller since his reintroduction into the starting lineup.
He's growing in stature. Young might not be the biggest or most physically imposing, but there is something to work with. The Panthers just need to nurture it effectively within a scheme to suit his strengths.
That's the biggest positive above all else. He missed some throws and there were a couple of miscues from his weapons in the passing game. But considering how things looked before his merciful benching after Week 2, it's the clearest sign yet that all hope is not lost.
Young knows he can mix it with the league's best if given the chance. He was undaunted by the challenge of going up versus a dominant Chiefs defense. The result not going Carolina's way shouldn't detract from how well the Mater Dei High School product performed overall.
Bryce Young in clutch situations
When the Carolina Panthers needed Bryce Young to step up and come through in key moments, the quarterback rose to the challenge. This hasn't always been the case, which is further proof that the second-year pro is playing with a newfound sense of freedom and conviction that continues to come across positively.
Young's ability to navigate the pocket and make important completions on third down must have left head coach Dave Canales beaming with pride. He didn't have things his own way and the Panthers were playing from behind throughout, but the signal-caller's fighting spirit and willingness to drive his team forward kept them competitive at the very least.
The Panthers didn't come away with a win. However, this was not the blowout most analysts projected thanks in no small part to Young's performance. He's getting better and proving capable of coming through when it counts. More importantly, his teammates are starting to believe too.
There's no such thing as a moral victory in the NFL. But once the disappointment subsides, Young can look back at his efforts with an enormous sense of pride.
Bryce Young should be the starter until further notice
Dave Canales has been noncommittal regarding Bryce Young's future up to now. That must change at the earliest possible opportunity.
Young should be the starter until further notice. He's earned the right and offers far more upside than veteran backup Andy Dalton. The Panthers are in good hands with the signal-caller based on his efforts over the last four games. Results won't always be positive, but the evidence is staring Canales in the face.
Carolina isn't talented enough to muster many victories, but they can take great heart from this performance against a Kansas City Chiefs team going for a historic three-peat. Young played his part with another polished display overall. This is his team again and it's the best-case scenario for the franchise.
Giving Young the next six games would be wise. If he continues to perform well and demonstrates the same encouraging signs, there's nothing to suggest he cannot grow into a long-term starter in 2025 and beyond.
Not many would have predicted that after his high-profile benching. And all credit goes to Young.