4 major observations from Bryce Young's performance vs. the Vikings in Week 4
By Dean Jones
What were some major observations from Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young's performance against the Minnesota Vikings in Week 4?
After sitting out in Week 3 with an ankle issue, quarterback Bryce Young returned to his rightful place under center against the Minnesota Vikings. Considering the high stakes involved, this was the biggest boost imaginable for a team relatively devoid of any confidence currently.
The Carolina Panthers were staring an 0-4 start in the face unless they somehow picked themselves up in the face of adversity versus another winless team - albeit with obvious strengths. Veteran backup Andy Dalton performed well in Young's absence last time out, but having the No. 1 overall selection in the lineup brings a different aura that teammates feed off and the opposition must account for consistently.
As it turned out, Young and the Panthers couldn't build on a positive start en route to a fourth-straight defeat to open their new regime.
With that being said, here are four major observations from Young's performance against the Vikings.
Conservatism returns with Bryce Young under center
Despite the Carolina Panthers' defense showing up and giving the offense plenty of opportunities to put up significant points, the offense once again stuttered. Things went back to being more conservative with veteran backup Andy Dalton out of the lineup, which drew the frustration of fans and played a role in Frank Reich's men not being up by as much as they should have been heading into the break.
At some stage, the Panthers have to take the stabilizers off. Just let Young do what they brought him into the organization for - which is making plays and being creative maneuvering out of the pocket.