Just one week after passing for a franchise record 448 yards in a stunning overtime triumph over the Atlanta Falcons, quarterback Bryce Young unfortunately went to the opposite side of the spectrum in the Carolina Panthers' only prime time game of the season.
It was a lackluster outing, almost from start to finish. Young finished 18-of-29 for just 169 yards, one touchdown, and two brutal interceptions in a resounding loss, which represents a massive step back.
The moment Panthers fans still can’t get past came late in the first quarter. Down 7-0, with a first down at the Niners’ one-yard line, Young had an easy chance to tie the game — maybe even walk it in himself. Instead, he forced a ball to tight end Mitchell Evans and watched safety Ji’Ayir Brown intercept it in the end zone.
Bryce Young acknowledged his role in Carolina Panthers' prime-time failure
Brown struck again in the fourth quarter. He picked off Young for a second time with less than five minutes remaining, effectively ending any hope of a Panthers comeback. And when the clock hit zero, Carolina walked away losers in a game where its defense had three first-half interceptions.
Young didn’t wait for the film to tell him what he already knew. He didn’t sugarcoat it. He didn’t lean on excuses.
He said what many fans were yelling at their screens: “I’ve got to do a better job executing… I take all ownership in that. Should have made a better decision with the ball. That’s on me.”
For a quarterback drafted to be a franchise-changer, it was the kind of admission that hit Carolina fans in the gut. It also reopened every doubt they’d started to bury after Week 11.
With the Tampa Bay Buccaneers losing and quarterback Brock Purdy giving Carolina three short fields, the Panthers could’ve easily entered Thanksgiving with the division lead. But they shot themselves in the foot too many times.
Instead, they walked out 6-6, searching for answers on offense, and staring at the reality of a season that should look a lot different than it does.
Now comes a brutal Week 13 matchup against the Los Angeles Rams, where Carolina enters as heavy underdogs. They may be without star cornerback Jaycee Horn, who exited the Niners game with a concussion after two interceptions.
Outside voices are wondering if it’s time to move on. Inside the building, Dave Canales isn’t flinching where Young is concerned. Not yet, anyway.
For the Panthers, the truth is unavoidable: They don’t need Young to be perfect. They need him not to throw the game away.
Monday night, he did. Young knows it, maybe more than anyone.