Bryce Young has nerves of steel. The Carolina Panthers know that if they give him a chance to come through in the clutch, their quarterback will almost always deliver the goods.
That was once again evident in Week 6 against the Dallas Cowboys. Young got the football with just over six minutes remaining, and the NFC East club never got it back. There was a heavy dose of record-breaking running back Rico Dowdle, but the signal-caller came up big when the Panthers needed him most.
They got into field goal range as time expired, and the rest is history.
Bryce Young is closing out games when Carolina Panthers give him the chance
Of the nine games Young has won as an NFL pro, eight have come from game-winning drives. That is an astonishing stat, one that head coach Dave Canales stated comes from his winning mentality and the trust he places in both himself and his teammates to shine when the pressure mounts.
"Belief, consistency, he expects to win. This has kind of been wired into him forever. He was a high school winner, he was a college winner, in the pros, we're trying to build a team that expects to win, that expects to have success, and to see those outcomes become possible as a group. It's about belief, and that's what I see from Bryce, he just keeps believing. He just keeps going back and attacking, and when the odds are a little bit stacked against him in some games, I've just seen him respond really well in a competitive way."Dave Canales via Panthers.com
It's not perfect from Young just yet. However, the Panthers are starting to find the formula that works for the quarterback and the franchise.
The former Alabama standout doesn't have to be a hero. Establishing the run, letting Young work off play-action, or taking whatever else the defense gives him. Playing complementary football elsewhere also helps. That is the recipe for success, and it's played a leading role in Carolina winning three of its last four contests.
Still, it doesn't hurt to have an unflappable presence under center when the game is on the line.
Young is a calming influence amid the chaos. He never deviates or loses focus. This assured demeanor and growing confidence are big reasons why the locker room believes, and even the Heisman Trophy winner's harshest critics are starting to take notice.
When Young thrives, so do the Panthers. All he needs is an opportunity when the stakes are raised. And there is enough evidence to suggest that he'll keep coming out on the other end of these situations smiling.