What were some major observations from Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young's performance against the Green Bay Packers in Week 16?
After leading the Carolina Panthers on a memorable game-winning drive last time out, rookie quarterback Bryce Young was looking to build on some rare positive momentum in Week 16 against the Green Bay Packers. This represented another opportunity to increase the faith in his chances to become a franchise presence long-term. Especially considering how the opposition's secondary has struggled to defend the pass in recent weeks.
If last Sunday's game was a war of attrition in torrid weather conditions, the forecast was far more favorable for Christmas Eve. With no first-round selection to tank for, there is also plenty of incentive for Young and the Panthers to finish the campaign strongly before heading into yet another offseason of significant change.
As it turned out, Young led the Panthers on a memorable comeback before falling just short. One of the more dramatic finishes of the season with an all-too-familiar result.
With this in mind, here are four major observations from Young's performance against the Packers at Bank of America Stadium.
Bryce Young's deep ball
If there was one major criticism of quarterback Bryce Young throughout his rookie year, it centers on his deep ball accuracy. This was once again evident in Week 16 against the Green Bay Packers.
Young left significant yardage on the field by not making the most of downfield opportunities. Whether it's down to his footwork or not finding the right touch is debatable. This should be one of the player's primary focuses in terms of development during the offseason. Something that would unlock another important arsenal in pursuit of better fortunes.
Bryce Young between the numbers
While Bryce Young did struggle to connect on deep shots, there was a lot to like about his precision between the numbers. This is a quarterback's bread and butter more often than not. Especially when it comes to a rookie still trying to find his feet at the NFL level.
Young demonstrated impressive velocity and timing on his throws over short-to-intermediate routes. He managed to fit balls into tight windows. Some were caught expertly by his pass-catchers. Others were frustratingly dropped.
Again, this is all part of Young's development. The Green Bay Packers got into an early ascendency, which made life difficult. How the first-year pro responded was largely encouraging despite being off on a few occasions.
Many analysts were concerned about Young's potential complications when it came to seeing the field effectively and making throws over the middle. This was thanks in no small part to his height disadvantage. Thankfully for the player and the Carolina Panthers, it doesn't seem to be that much of a problem.
Of course, it's far from perfect. Young's distribution was sometimes wayward as reflected by his 46.66 percent completion success in the first half. He'll get better, hopefully with better options around him. For now, the flashes alone are enough to suggest the Panthers might have something.
Bryce Young's pocket progress
Things have not gone according to the script Bryce Young or the Carolina Panthers had in mind this season. Therefore, this is all about what areas of the quarterback's game are growing and what more needs to be done.
The poise Young's displays under center has come on a great deal compared to Week 1. There is no longer much confusion pre-snap. He's able to get the play quickly, communicate with his teammates, and see what's transpiring on the defensive side of things to potentially make adjustments.
Not only this, but Young looks a lot more comfortable in the pocket these days. There are times when he gets himself into tricky situations with suspect footwork. Aside from that, there are noticeable improvements when it comes to keeping his eyes downfield, knowing when to get out on the run, and throwing the football away when required.
That might seem like much, but it's a core component of making smart decisions. Once Young figures out other problematic areas - some of which we've discussed previously - better days will be ahead.
For once this season, Carolina's defense didn't live up to its end of the bargain. The Panthers have rarely put together a clean game in all three phases this season. Something that must be rectified as a matter of urgency by the new regime.
No quit in Bryce Young
It didn't look good for the Carolina Panthers heading into the game's closing stages. Instead of wallowing in more team failings, Bryce Young rallied the troops and mounted an unlikely fightback that resulted in the best statistical performance of his professional career so far.
Young got the ball moving with real urgency. He made some outstanding throws in clutch situations. His touchdown pass to D.J. Chark was astonishing. But it wasn't enough to prevent another defeat on home turf.
In truth, Young did everything he possibly could. He gave his team a fighting chance down the stretch. It hasn't been the case for most of 2023, but the defense didn't get the job done when it mattered most.
It's another loss, which is disappointing. However, the resolve displayed by Young in a high-pressure situation was pleasing. Even if the only thing that matters is the result.
One could place this under the valiant effort category. Young threw for more than 250 yards and two touchdowns despite an indifferent start to proceedings. He won't take much solace from that when push comes to shove, but one could argue it was a positive step in the right direction.
Even with barely any time on the clock, Young surged into field goal range. But they couldn't get another snap off.