The Carolina Panthers have fallen to 3-8 after their Week 12 loss to the Kansas City Chiefs, though Bryce Young kept things interesting all the way to a last-second 30-27 loss. Despite the loss, the top pick of the 2023 Draft finished 21-35 with 263 yards and a touchdown, which may have cemented his position as starter for the rest of the season. Moreover, his resurgence came as a pleasant surprise, especially after Panthers coach Dave Canales benched Bryce Young after two poor games to start the season. However, veteran Andy Dalton suffering a sprained thumb gave the young QB the chance to retake his spot.
On the other hand, “Bama Bryce” also gave his take on his coach, in his first year as head coach after working as offensive coordinator for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
“He’s always doing a good job of just giving his insights,” the QB said, via Mark Inabinett for AL.com. “Obviously he’s been around a lot of football. He always has really good additions to the room, so this week hasn’t been any different. But I trust him in the things that he sees. He does everything and does a great job of just preparing us in the room. And we’re all going to lean on that.”
The Panthers hope this resurgence continues
Dave Canales benching Bryce Young after two games surprised the former Heisman Trophy winner for Alabama in 2021, and who also entered the NFL as the top pick in the draft.
After starting 18 games, dating back to last season, then getting benched, Young became a starter again after Canales began a weekly assessment of potential starting QBs once Dalton went down. This assessment resulted in three starts for Young.
Moreover, his strong performance for the Panthers against the two-time Super Bowl champion Chiefs convinced Dave Canales to start him against the Buccaneers in Week 13.
“Just wanted to do what’s best for the team,” the young quarterback said. “As a leader, as a quarterback, that’s always what I’m trying to do, so just in the moment, I thought that was best for the team.”
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Prior to the Chiefs game, Young had also led the Panthers to two straight wins over the Saints and the Giants. However, Young had only gained the confidence to address his teammates after the game.
“Keep building,” Young told his teammates, per the report. “We just have to be consistent. We want to make sure that we’re looking forward, building on stuff, just embracing the things where we can go, where we want to go, stuff that’s really real, and just instilling belief…. I think it’s just the importance of us embracing that and trying to continue to build.”
Despite a 3-8 record, Panthers fans should see Bryce Young’s resurgence as a cause for optimism. The team has already put a solid set of skilled talent around him, and if their quarterback takes a leap, the Panthers might be a team to look forward to.