When Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young was a little off earlier in his career, the team would implode. Now, his indifferent days hurt far less.
Young wasn't at his mesmerizing best against the Philadelphia Eagles, certainly not compared to how he performed over the first four games. But he did more than enough to ensure the Panthers got another win, taking them to 3-2.
It was always going to be a tough ask for Young. He's playing lights out, but for all the Eagles' problems, their defense remains strong.
Bryce Young wasn't at his best, but he did enough to help Carolina Panthers win
And the former Alabama standout needed all his wits about him as pressure arrived during the opening exchanges.
Young's approach has a new calmness that's reassuring these days. He is never flustered, and if things don't work out from one play to the next, he keeps swinging for the fences.
He also knows how to live to fight another day.
Young kept chipping away. He took his shots when needed, and when he had time to run his reads, he was aggressive.
Tetauroa McMillan and Jalen Coker both benefited from Young's improved timing. Offensive coordinator Brad Idzik's game plan made tight end Tommy Tremble the security blanket across the middle and in the red zone. And when the Panthers needed to protect their lead, running back Chuba Hubbard stepped up.
The Panthers got what they needed from Young. He only completed 51.28 percent of his passes for 281 yards and two touchdowns, but he protected the football. And when the big moments arrived, he came through.
Bryce Young's narrative has completely flipped in just five games
That is the hallmark of every franchise-caliber quarterback in the NFL. And if this is what a bad day for Young looks like now, the Panthers can live with it.
Everyone is looking at Young differently now. He's gone from a potential draft bust into the NFL MVP conversation through the first five games. He won't get the hype of others, but the narrative around his outlook has changed for the better.
Things weren't perfect against the Eagles, but Young dug in. He found ways to move the chains, and he commanded proceedings enough down the stretch to see things through.
And at the end of the day, head coach Dave Canales knows that winning is all that matters to Young.
"He took care of the ball, and he threw it away when he had to. He'll be the first one up here telling you he doesn't care about the records and the stats. The only stat he cares about is winning, and the guys know that that's true about him."
Young is building momentum. Any defense led by Vic Fangio will give quarterbacks problems, but Carolina's QB1 navigated them successfully enough.
It was almost another 300-yard game, and he still leads the league in passing yards per game with 309.8. He's thrown 11 passing touchdowns and just two interceptions. He's ninth in QBR despite being among the most pressured signal-callers in the NFL.
Even though this performance didn't set the world alight, Young helped. He did what was required, and the Panthers overcame an Eagles defense with All-Pro-caliber performers everywhere you look.
And if that left some disappointed, perhaps they should look at the bigger picture.
Bryce Young verdict: B
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