4 major observations from Bryce Young's performance at the Lions in Week 5
By Dean Jones
Bryce Young is lacking self-confidence
Of course, nobody will look back on this game - or the opening five for that matter - with any great fondness. The Carolina Panthers are a mess and devoid of any inspiration, which starts at the very top and trickles down.
Bryce Young shows moments of genuine quality, but they were fleeting at the Detroit Lions despite picking up some garbage-time stats. The Panthers were never really in the game after three turnovers, which resulted in some flat production after the half-time interval en route to yet another heavy thumping.
Perhaps the most concerning thing of all is the fact Young looks like he's lacking some self-confidence. One can blame the bland schematic concepts for a large part of the team's failings, but the signal-caller is clearly making mistakes that were not in keeping with what we saw during his time at Alabama.
Take the second interception, for example. His processing and shrewd offensive mind know not to throw the ball there - yet, he did it anyway.
A sign of hesitancy and a lack of belief. Something that not many envisaged after a standout career with the Crimson Tide and wowing everyone during the pre-draft evaluation process.
Again, there are flashes of real promise where Young is concerned and it is far too soon to be pressing the panic button. We saw that on occasions during the second half - especially during high-tempo moments where he was allowed to dictate proceedings - but putting together a full game of production represents the biggest issue despite his NFL career being in its relative infancy.