Panthers News: Adam Thielen, Bryce Young, Ben Johnson and Week 17
By Dean Jones
Which Carolina Panthers news stories are hitting the headlines as the dust settles on their Christmas Eve loss against the Green Bay Packers in Week 16?
The Carolina Panthers can take heart from their defeat against the Green Bay Packers in Week 16. They dug deep to fight back. Had the defense maintained its high standards throughout the season, a second-straight triumph at Bank of America Stadium would have been within reach. Unfortunately, they could not get the job done, which negated another outstanding performance from rookie quarterback Bryce Young.
Anyway, we hope you all had a wonderful Christmas Day with your families. While we wait for further developments, the stories causing debate include Adam Theilen's excitement, going all-in for Ben Johnson, an early look at Week 17 at the Jacksonville Jaguars, and Bryce Young's continued growth.
Let's delve into each topic in more detail.
Carolina Panthers WR Adam Thielen's excitement
Perhaps the biggest positive to emerge from Sunday's game was Bryce Young's performance under center. The rookie signal-caller was almost flawless, enhancing the belief in his capabilities to become the Carolina Panthers' franchise presence at football's most important position.
Veteran wideout Adam Thielen is starting to see Young's potential shine through. This is filling the free-agent signing with excitement about the future based on comments via Pro Football Talk.
"Man, impressive. Really the stuff that I saw and a lot of us saw in OTAs, training camp. Just that confidence, that kind of attitude. And then, you collectively make some plays for him, and watch out, he’s got the hot hand, as we say. So, obviously super impressive and excited to build on that."
- Adam Thielen via Pro Football Talk
Thielen's been a big part of Young's development as a rookie. He looks well on course to break the 1,000-yard receiving barrier, which is a remarkable accomplishment given his age and how mundane Carolina's offense was earlier in the campaign.