4 critical observations from the Carolina Panthers' loss at Lions in Week 5
By Luke Gray
Carolina Panthers fans must be patient with Bryce Young
While Bryce Young had his first multi-touchdown game, he also threw two picks for the second time this season. The first was just a great play by stud defensive end Aidan Hutchinson on a screen pass to Ian Thomas, but the second was all on the rookie quarterback as he stared down his receiver, allowing Jerry Jacobs to snag the interception.
For the first time possibly in Young's career, he looked devoid of confidence. While we shouldn’t look too much into the garbage time touchdowns, one can only hope they helped restore the player's belief.
Fans are understandably frustrated with the Carolina Panthers and it’s easy to go straight for the signal-caller they sacrificed a lot to take No. 1 overall in the 2023 NFL Draft.
However, I’d implore fans to be patient with Young. He’s working behind a banged-up offensive line, Adam Thielen seems to be his only viable target, and his starting running back has little burst coupled with huge ball security issues.
While Young could of course have played better, I would defy any rookie presence under center to succeed in this environment.
Understandably, the move to select Young and give up draft capital has come under scrutiny when in 2024 Caleb Williams and Drake Maye are entering the pros - two players who look like generational talents. But I'd remind fans that both Tua Tagovailoa and Trevor Lawerence struggled immensely in Year 1 before kicking on.
Young has all it takes to succeed in this league. But it’s imperative the Panthers surround him with the correct weapons and more importantly, the coaches make this a more profitable environment schematically.