5 major observations from Bryce Young's performance at the Saints in Week 1
By Dean Jones
Bryce Young's catastrophic first half
Things didn't get better for Bryce Young over the first half. The signal-caller looked devoid of any confidence and couldn't generate any sort of momentum. He was hesitant in the pocket and holding onto the football for too long rather than letting it go.
The Carolina Panthers worked hard on Young this offseason, emphasizing getting the football out quickly within a 2.7-second timeframe. This didn't exactly come to fruition in the opening two quarters. And when Young did let it go, very few attempts hit their desired target.
This was an absolute catastrophe in no uncertain terms. Young somehow emerged with a 50 percent completion percentage, but his passer rating was just 2.8 at one stage. It was another half of football to forget - one that came with no touchdowns and saw Carolina down 30-3 at the interval.
Young didn't cover himself in glory, to be honest. And it didn't take long for the critics to surface on social media once again when the struggles began.
Bryce Young's confidence issues
There are some real confidence issues with Bryce Young right now. He's turned the page on last season's rookie horror show, but this quickly became evident from the moment he threw an interception on his first attempt at the New Orleans Saints.
This is not the same quarterback that took college football by storm at Alabama en route to winning a Heisman Trophy. Young's got the same demeanor - one that suggests nothing phases him in times of struggle. But this lack of confidence was hard to ignore.
It was always going to take time. Young went through significant turmoil as a rookie and had his critical early development mismanaged. He was saying all the right things throughout the offseason, but the self-belief just isn't where it needs to be currently.
Young knows that better than anybody. The Panthers aren't giving up on the signal-caller after one game. At the same time, if the same complications continue to blight the player's performance levels throughout his NFL sophomore season, Carolina won't go anywhere fast.