Bryce Young's first half
There were some early jitters from quarterback Bryce Young and the Carolina Panthers. That was to be expected in such a massive occasion for the franchise, but things began to settle down for the signal-caller as the first half progressed.
It wasn't perfect; not by a long shot. The Panthers were intent on getting in their own way with several needless errors. Jalen Coker stopped on his route when Young thought he would keep running, leading to an interception. Chuba Hubbard also dropped a short completion with daylight in front of him, although the Mater Dei High School graduate could have made things easier.
Young also had some positive moments. His rhythm, once he raised the tempo, was encouraging. His touchdown run shook Bank of America Stadium to its foundations. And even with two turnovers, the Panthers were somehow only down three at the halftime break.
Here are Young's stats from the first half, which could have been even better.
- 55 percent completion (11/20)
- 151 passing yards
- 0 touchdowns
- 1 interception
- 2 sacks against
- 15 rushing yards (1 rushing TD)
- 58.5 passer rating (ESPN)
The Panthers were somehow still in the hunt. But it was evident that better execution was needed to turn the tide.
Bryce Young's aggression
Bryce Young was not going to wait for the moment to come. He was looking to take it, and he aggressively looked to spearhead the Panthers to a massive upset as home underdogs.
Young has to adopt this mindset. We've already spoken about the Los Angeles Rams' defensive front getting the upper hand. The signal-caller had to meet fire with fire, which came through purposeful control at the line of scrimmage and surgically taking what the defense was giving him.
Fans have found out plenty about Young this season. There are ups and downs aplenty — perhaps more than head coach Dave Canales would like in Year 3 of his professional career. At the same time, his purposeful presence continues to be an inspiration to his teammates, who are willing follow his lead these days.
The Rams seemed perplexed on occasion when Young kept pushing despite severe pressure. He's a rhythm quarterback, and once Canales finally got him into his groove, that's when the Panthers started to find their feet.
It's the fighting spirit that saw Young overcome being benched to become the guy in Carolina. There may be some flaws left to figure out, but the aggression is right where it needs to be.