Navy_football

Show me how defenses are playing the Panthers to stop the run and force the QB to beat them. They don't usually have more than 7 or 8 players within 5 yards of the line of scrimmage, and 7 in the box. That's actually pretty common. They play Nickel and Dime on passing downs and a lot of zone. Daring a QB to beat you is running mostly man with run fit blitzes that stifle the run or pressure the QB if he's passing. That's usually when Bryce will take a shot deep, particularly on 3rd or 4th down. 

1 hour ago, electro's horse said:

Thats more an out or a zero route (they called it a smoke route when Clausen was throwing them to smith) and that isnt something he should be throwing either. That only works if the db is playing off and the qb has the arm to get it in there  

they only do that with Bryce when they have trips right and a number advantage. If he just turned and threw you’d have a repeat of peppers housing Pickles when he was with Chicago. 

I think a smoke is a screen play. Everyone but the primary receiver is usually blocking. I'm talking line your receiver out wide and run a quick slant. Not a dig or an out. That guy shouldn't get to the middle of the field before getting the ball. If so, it's too late and you're likely gonna get him killed. Especially if the defense is in zone. 

2 hours ago, strato said:

Seems to me that when teams can stop our run game and dare us to pass, if they can do that, Canales resists taking the bait. As long as the game is close. He will take three and outs and punt, before he will take an interception. 

Yeah Strato... that's just not true. It may appear that way. But guys are running routes to the sticks on 3rd and manageable. Canales also will abandon the run if it's not working, like in Seattle. He probably should have mixed up the downs he called run plays. Teams tend to stack the box on 1st down agaist Carolina more than other downs. I think that's more understanding playcalling tendencies than anything else. 

11 minutes ago, hepcat said:

The best move the Panthers could make is to continue investing in the roster and draft a 2nd round QB to be competition for Bryce. The best case scenario is Bryce plays out his 5th year option and a better QB on a rookie contract takes his place. Shough seems like the real deal, Saints are going to be back up quick. 

Yeah, I wouldn't crown a 26 years old rookie too fast though. He played well late in the season but that second year could be tough now that they have film on him. 

20 minutes ago, ok2h8pep said:

Screens, yes.  Slants, no - they happen in the middle of the field where Bryce dare not go.

Quick slants only then, with the outside receiver. Though I disagree that he can't (or doesn't like to) throw to the middle of the field.

10 minutes ago, strato said:

I wish this site nested the thread of posts and replies. I had to go back and find what you said that I responded to.
 

I didn’t mean to belittle your statement or really argue about it, just kind of stating my general recall of how that game went.  
 

It would be nice if we had a QB that didn’t put us to sleep in the first half. Or dig a deep hole the team has to climb out of. Yeah. 
 

Anything can happen and I can visualize us jumping out with some completions and individual effort getting the YAC, if I squint real hard.
But Canales will likely stick to the strategy of minimize the damage eat the clock and keep it close so that maybe we can steal another one at the end.  97 yards in 3 quarters again wouldn’t surprise me.  

I really disagree that Canales calls a conservative game early. I used to think the same thing but watched a couple of games a little closer and came to the conclusion that Bryce PLAYS conservative early. Maybe he needs to get into a rhythm or something. I don't know. If he does, then give him some easy completions - slants and screens. If it's just an MO thing, then take away anything short and make him launch it early. 

22 hours ago, XClown1986 said:

Ol' Swole Bones

You beat me to it. 

On 1/6/2026 at 2:43 AM, Dilla said:

 

Might be little too easy

Swole Bones!!!

Haruki Nakamara - not sure of spelling. I just sounded it out.

There needs to be more speed on the offense. Bryce Young is good enough I guess, if you give him the type of receivers and TEs he needs to be successful. He needs YAC guys. Not possession receivers. He just isn't that type of QB.

The best thing that could have happened for this team in 2015 was Kelvin Benjamin getting injured. Cam was one of the only QBs in the NFL that could get it to Ginn. Kelvin would have slowed down the offense.

2 hours ago, WarPanthers89 said:

 

Looks like the entire offensive line is pass blocking. That was a flea flicker by design. He just slipped trying to do too much.

Just now, mrcompletely11 said:

this is where we are with bryce, 40+ games in the nfl and people are still talking about his college career.  Thats how far we have fallen.   Just cut the cord at this point the dude aint it

I agree he's way too inconsistent right now. I even said he isn't a franchise QB because of it. This whole back and forth is because someone said they could tell Bryce wasn't gonna be a good pro based on how he played in college. And that ain't true. This whole arm issue, not throwing deep and too small to pass over the middle was not an issue in college. Dude was the truth. Obviously all great college players don't become great pros. But in my opinion that's usually either a guy that doesn't have a good work ethic, does dumb stuff outside of football or goes to the wrong team.

12 hours ago, frankw said:

 

Bryce with a mediocre arm peaked with a really good Alabama team in college and still got shut down by Georgia.

https://www.espn.com/college-football/boxscore/_/gameId/401331242#home

Take a look at Bryce's stat line in this game and tell me that doesn't look familiar 44 games into his NFL career.

57 attempts just to get over 300 yards 2 picks and 6.5 yards per attempt.

The writing on the wall was there for anyone to see.

Frank? Stop. Context freaking matters. Bryce threw for 400 yards,3 TDs, no INTs to beat Georgia in the SEC championship game like a month earlier that season. Metchie tore his ACL in that game and didn't play in the final game. Then Jamison Williams hurt his knee in the 1st quarter of that final game. Dude still played his tail off against a defense that would have 5 first round draft picks! 5 first round draft picks! With neither of his 2 big targets. 365 yards, 1 TD and 2 picks against that defense with 3rd level receivers is not a bad game. Yes he got in a shootout and lost against an offense with George Pickens, Ladd McConkey, Adonia Mitchell, Darnell Washington and Brock frigging Bowers. All without his top 2 guys, his only 2 guys, Metchie and Williams. Context matters. Name another receiver on that Bama team. And remember, this is before Gibbs.

Roger that. Bryce Young wasn't that good at Bama. He actually passed for all of those yards and TDs, and won a Heisman because of Metchie, Williams, and then Gibbs his junior year - even though he's a running back. 

Beating out CJ Stroud for the Heisman with Njigba, Olave, Marvin Harrison, Egbuka, Garrett Wilson, and Treveyon Henderson.

Come on. I am not defending today's Bryce Young. He's playing bad football now, but that doesn't mean he wasn't balling at Bama. 

Added: Happy New Year gents! May all your QB dreams come true in 2026.

3 minutes ago, mrcompletely11 said:

Does Jahmyr Gibbs ring a bell?

You mean the running back? Of course. 

Edit: And he wasn't there in 2021.

1 minute ago, frankw said:

Statistically Bryce Young wasn't anywhere near as good as Mac Jones or Tua at Alabama. He had the worst deep passing % of the three of them by a significant margin as well.

I mean I ain't trying to die on the Bryce Young hill, but this is a crazy statement. Who were Mac and Tua's receivers? Devonta Smith won a frigging Heisman! WRs don't mean everything but they matter. 

3 minutes ago, frankw said:

Bryce Young has had the best coaching top end talent and been afforded every benefit of the doubt his entire life before he got to the NFL. He's never had to face adversity like this.

CJ Stroud was basically labeled an ignoramus leading up to the draft.

You can fill the entire WR room with burners and it still won't matter if Bryce Young can't stop bailing from the pocket and killing plays and even if he does get the ball out they'll still have to slow up or contort themselves to haul in many of his passes.

You guys crack me up.

Is that what it is? He's had it too easy for you? Lol!

I never said BY is playing well. At least not consistently enough to be a franchise QB. That still doesn't take away what he did in college. 

He can play. He just isn't, so it doesn't matter if he can or not.

2 hours ago, SmokinwithWilly said:

Bryce had a lot of help in college. Bama has the top recruiting classes with mostly 1sts, a couple 2nd and a 5th over the past dozen years. 10 guys from his class were drafted. Georgia had 10 also.

He played lesser caliber competition. Yeah he played in the SEC, but the SEC still has only so many 4 and 5 star recruits and draft worthy players. Alabama had the best, other teams didn't. That's just the nature of college ball. Now every team has what would be elite level talent in college. That huge advantage has disappeared and in many cases, he's on the lesser talent side. 

Bryce benefited from where he played. Nothing wrong with it. But its why you've got to ignore a lot of the game play and look at the physical attributes, footwork, progressions, motions, everything. We, and by we I mean Fitts and company and Tepper, ignored a lot of the simple red flags because they got hung up on the super processor hype. Damn that S2 test. 

He definitely had talent around him. But they weren't the only reason he won the Heisman. I mean he is the only QB to ever win it at Bama - with the same number of 5 star players and coaches. I remember watching games and thinking this lil mofo is a baller. Still didn't want him. Because the team wasn't ready for a 1st round rookie QB. Bottom line - Bama Bryce was a friggin baller. Carolina Bryce is NOT.

3 minutes ago, frankw said:

It's wild that guy is even debating this fact. Bryce Young also played under the winningest coach in modern football history who also personally went out of his way to vouch for Bryce. Remove Alabama from the equation altogether and replace it with a smaller school and Bryce Young wouldn't have even been drafted in the first two rounds.

Frank what are you even talking about? He was the #1 QB in his high school class and the #2 overall recruit. Why would he be at a smaller school? Dude threw for dang near 5000 yards his sophomore season at Alabama with Jamison Williams and John Metchie. Good players but more speed than skilled. Maybe that's this dude's problem. Panthers keep bringing in big body WRs, but maybe he needs wiry fast guys instead. 

CJ Stroud threw for over 4000 that season too. Care to look at his receivers?

So you seriously think Bryce was bad in college and his receivers made him look good? Oh wow.

1 hour ago, Panthering said:

His confidence pushing the ball down the field got shattered early. His first game against the Falcons I still remember the Jessie Bates picks and then the first possession first game against the Saints last year in Canales first year he tried to fit it in a tight window in the middle of the field and got picked. He just doesn't have the arm strength for this league. 

He has more than enough arm for the NFL. He doesn't throw hard when he should. Some times you just have to drive the ball in a window and he doesn't always do that, giving the impression that his arm is weak. It really isn't as bad as that. Not great. But not THAT bad. 

8 minutes ago, MHS831 said:

I try to look at him through rose-colored glasses when I can because I think they are going to "die on this hill (Bryce).  At least bring in some comp.  The mentor/best buddies backup situation is not healthy competition, and I will be pissed if we give Bryce a $50m per contract.  I am in the minority when I see the potential for our future QB in this draft.  Players like Mateer, for example, from Oklahoma.  A substandard 2025 has dropped his stock to where he could fall to day 3, but his skill set, demeanor, and stats from Washington State tell me there is something there.  I think he could be there in round 3 if he comes out.  I would feel better about Bryce if I knew we were developing plan B.

Yeah. My thing with Bryce is that he can. He just doesn't. I know some don't think he can throw a deep ball, or fit passes into tight windows, or even throw in the middle. He can. He has. It's just that some games he just doesn't. For whatever reason. That's the most confusing part. The inconsistency is mind numbing for me. I'd love to see Canales just force him to let it loose. Teach him to read deep to shallow. Check downs for him should only be if he's moved from his spot. Period.

He wasn't like this at Alabama. I think we broke him. 

28 minutes ago, kungfoodude said:

Dude, HELL no. He would do something incredibly stupid like get a fuging penalty or fumble the snap.

You do NOT take your least disciplined player and put them in that crucial of a situation.

Honestly, if they are going to do a tush push type play, it should be Dowdle getting the snap.

Very tongue in cheek suggestion. Not serious at all. 

Yeah, this was 100% on Bryce. For some reason he came out being checkdown king Sunday. Didn't really even look at deeper routes. Just checked it down as quickly as possible. He CAN NOT be a franchise QB playing this inconsistently. The confusion for me is that some games he looks at deeper routes and then some games he just ignores everything over 15 yards. I don't understand this dude anymore. Honestly thinking he's broken at this point. He WAS NOT like this at Alabama. They'll pick up his 5th year option, but there's no way he's extended. No way.