What were some major observations from Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young's performance at the Miami Dolphins in Week 6?
Despite the walls closing in fast on the Carolina Panthers after five straight losses to open the campaign, quarterback Bryce Young continues to progress with every passing week. The turnovers aren't ideal, obviously, but one cannot look at his growth overall with anything other than encouragement.
The sooner Carolina makes life easier for Young, the better. Another daunting test awaited the No. 1 overall selection in the 2023 NFL Draft in Week 6, with the Panthers traveling to the Miami Dolphins as underdogs by more than two touchdowns for their final game before the bye.
As it turned out, Young and the Panthers weren't able to pull off a miracle. They started well but tailed off dramatically en route to another heavy loss versus a genuine Super Bowl contender.
With this in mind, here are four major observations from Young's performance at the Dolphins.
Bryce Young's field vision
One of the biggest question marks surrounding Bryce Young's pre-draft assessments centered on his height. Many analysts were worried about whether being 5-foot-10 would impact his ability to see the field effectively, but these concerns have been alleviated in no uncertain terms through six weeks.
Young sees the middle of the field just fine. Something that was especially evident during his touchdown throw to veteran wideout Adam Thielen that put the Carolina Panthers up 14-0.
The Heisman Trophy winner has other traits that more than compensate for his lack of height. Any criticism in this regard is from those more interested in pushing their own agendas at this point.
Bryce Young's surgical first half
There seemed to be an extra level of freedom surrounding Bryce Young and the Carolina Panthers to begin this one. Being 14.5-point underdogs with most sportsbooks obviously helped limit the expectations, which relaxed them over a largely positive first half.
Young was at the forefront of this, displaying real conviction from the pocket and making some clutch throws in key moments. There are a couple that the signal-caller would like to have back - especially an inaccurate deep ball when D.J. Chark created separation - but it was an extremely positive opening despite the odd blip.
The Panthers were never going to keep the Miami Dolphins out of the end zone entirely. Momentum definitely swung in the second quarter, but Young remained composed and looked in complete command in pursuit of moving the chains.
This positive display was reflected in Young's statistics over the opening half. It wasn't perfect, but everything seemed much smoother despite the standard of opposition.
- 70% completion
- 141 passing yards
- 1 touchdown
- 0 interceptions
- 1 sack against
- 106.5 passer rating (ESPN)
Carolina found itself behind 21-14 after getting burned for multiple deep plays defensively. However, that does not detract from how comfortable Young looked as he continues to evolve into a highly productive quarterback.
Bryce Young's poise
It didn't take long to figure out that once the Miami Dolphins seized momentum, they weren't going to give it up. Their offense is electrifying and the defense has enough playmakers to make things happen - especially when it comes to protecting a lead.
Sometimes, a team is just better. That proved to be the case in Week 6, but the poise displayed by Bryce Young is worth mentioning and should be commended.
It was always going to be taking the rough with the smooth in such a difficult environment versus a team that looks poised to make a deep postseason run. Young looked comfortable in the offense, read things well pre-snap, and protected the football far better than we've seen more often than not to begin his career.
Young is a rhythm quarterback coping well with some significant adversity right now. The offensive line wasn't exactly stable and there was once again an overreliance on Adam Thielen in the passing game, but this is something out of the player's control currently.
Whether this changes after the bye is debatable. Carolina isn't in a position to be throwing away more capital on quick fixes at 0-6, so they'll have to hope Young's poise and ability to process information quickly can elevate those around him.
That's a lot to ask of a rookie quarterback. It's also a reflection of poor recruitment throughout an offseason where Scott Fitterer and David Tepper seemed particularly pleased with themselves.
Bryce Young is coming along nicely
Sure, the result didn't go the way everyone would have liked. But nobody genuinely expected the Carolina Panthers to turn over the Miami Dolphins on their travels, in any case.
However, Bryce Young's performance was another encouraging step in the right direction. And with the Panthers now sitting at 0-6 heading into their bye week, the only thing that matters is his development over the next 11 games.
There are still skeptics, which is down in no small part to the team's struggles rather than examining Young's progression from week to week. Regardless of what some might say, he is coming along nicely.
Carolina's offense seemed to have more fluidity on occasion. When Young was operating a high-tempo scheme within a simplified play-calling structure, the signal-caller at least looked capable of making things happen.
Just where the Panthers go from here is another matter. Another lost season is almost confirmed, which is why everyone's primary focus should shift to ensure Young is the one guy who can take positives from the campaign.
Looking at the bigger picture, that's one mission the Panthers are accomplishing. There's been definitive growth from Week 1 up to their latest reverse at the Miami Dolphins, even if the protection in front of him left a lot to be desired.
The bye couldn't be coming at a better time for a franchise on its knees. Some extreme soul-searching and adjustments are needed during their extended rest period, which also includes some schematic offensive alterations that do a better job of playing to Young's strengths.