Bryce Young Deserves Respect After Gutty Performance Against Falcons
On a heavily-taped ankle, Carolina’s QB delivers career-high 448 yards, 3 TDs and late-game heroics
Many NFL fans believe the Carolina Panthers made a mistake when they drafted former Alabama quarterback Bryce Young with the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. The results haven't been there for the young quarterback early in his career (6-22 as a starter entering this season).
The No. 2 pick in 2023, C.J. Stroud, easily won NFL Rookie of the Year, making the Young pick look even worse. But there's an argument that since the middle of last season (after Young returned from a benching), Young has been the better player.
On Sunday, Young posted the best performance of his career, throwing for 448 yards (career-high), 3 TDs, and no interceptions. The third-year quarterback also led a go-ahead touchdown drive with under two minutes left in the fourth quarter against the Atlanta Falcons and converted the two-point PAT.
The Falcons ultimately tied the game with a late field goal, but Young picked up where he left off in regulation and promptly led the Panthers into field-goal range, after an Atlanta punt, in overtime.
All of that is extremely impressive in its own right, but it's even more impressive when considering the circumstances. Young suffered a high-ankle sprain in a Week 7 win over the New York Jets. He missed only one game, a blowout loss to the Buffalo Bills, and returned in Week 9 to lead the team to an upset over the Green Bay Packers.
Carolina Panthers QB Bryce Young played the best game of his career against the Atlanta Falcons, and he did it while nursing a right ankle injury.
(Dale Zanine-Imagn Images)
High-ankle sprains usually require more than one missed game, so Young's quick return showed that he's a tough player who wants to be on the field. But it's clear he's not 100% healthy.
That became painfully obvious against the Falcons. Young left the game following a sack and went to the Carolina locker room with trainers.
But he didn't miss a single snap. Young returned to the game on the ensuing Panthers drive with his right ankle heavily taped. Later in the game, an offensive lineman stepped on Young's foot, leading to a sack, and Young remained on the ground in pain again.
However, he still didn't miss a single snap. Young gutted out one of the best performances by any NFL QB this season, and he did it on a bum ankle.
No one expected the Panthers to compete for an NFC South championship this season (myself included), but the team is suddenly very much in the conversation. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers fell to the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, dropping them to 6-4 on the season.
With the win over Atlanta, Carolina improved to 6-5, 6-4 in games started by Young. It's the first time the Panthers have been over .500 at this point in a season since 2018 (finished 7-9 that season after 6-2 start). Young is now 5-1 as a starter in the past six games, and the Panthers are an interesting team to watch the rest of the way.
The schedule is tough. They have to face the 49ers and Rams before a game against the New Orleans Saints. Carolina finishes the season with two games against the Buccaneers, sandwiched between a matchup with the Seattle Seahawks.
There's a lot of season left, but Bryce Young has earned respect, and head coach Dave Canales deserves some consideration for NFL Coach of the Year. Can the pair keep it up?
Time will tell.