[PFF] Tetairoa McMillan Will Unlock Bryce Young and the Panthers Offense!

[CRA]

2 hours ago, Icege said:

This is incredibly dishonest, and you know it.

We didn't cherry-pick a "small amount of deep throws late in the year." We reviewed every one of Bryce's deep throws using the NFL's own film and data via NFL Pro. The analysis was thorough, transparent, and contextualized with game film. Dismissing that as cherry-picking is not only incredibly disingenuous, it is textbook gaslighting as well.

Let's walk through the actual data:

• Top-10 in deep ball accuracy
• Top-5 in short-range accuracy
• Bottom-10 in intermediate accuracy (not ideal, but not "league worst" either)

If you're going to lean on the "no pressure" qualifier again, his deep passing under pressure was covered. So no... it wasn't cherry-picked. Look, you don't have to believe in Bryce. That's your right... but misrepresenting clear, consistent evidence crosses the line from skepticism into willful intellectual dishonesty.

nothing dishonest in pointing out that Bryce Young had the highest off target rate of any passer in the NFL last year.   PFF mentions it.  Others have mentioned.  I have pulled it from other sources.  That's sort of a giant red flag of concern.    Nothing dishonest about saying we were getting below average offensive production from the passing O as a whole on the season and post benching.  All of that essentially gets dismissed as not actually mattering.....and what really matters is just PFF's view.  And their definition of big time throws, how they view/score incompletions, etc in a small window, in one area of the field.   Wanting the convo to just be about PFF IMO is the intellectually dishonest part. 

I mean, what is the actual great insult I am making about Bryce Young? 

I said cherry picking a small amount of deep throws.   The way some here paint it, Bryce was lighting people up downfield at a high rate (volume) vs the league.  Which he wasn't. 

Bryce improved.  For that, I am happy.  But folks just running crazy far with it.  We are at the stage now where if you argue Bryce Young isn't close to a top 10 QB.....that somehow brings the pitchforks out.  Which is crazy.  If an argument can't be presented without PFF....then it's not much of an argument IMO. 

 

[BrianS]

I am not one who gets behind the idea of "unlocking" a player.  Did Barry Sanders need much in the way of blocking to "unlock" him?  I still maintain that Sanders career was far more impressive than Emmit Smith's.  Did Larry Fitzgerald need an elite QB to "unlock" him?  Antonio Gates?  Etc.

Great players play well if you care to watch with an objective eye.

Now, some players work better in a given system.  I do see that.  A player who is playing well can be made to look better by sticking him in a better / more tailored system.  I'm not sure Brock Purdy looks like a franchise guy in another system - but I would say the chances are probably 50/50.  He's a good player, you could see it in any system, but in THAT system he's great.

But for our specific example - and I hate to use TB12 but it's the easiest to see - you need look no further than the NE dynasty.  Did Brady need Randy Moss to "unlock" him?  No, of course not.  Brady was just a great player, in a well designed system.

Up until the end of the year last year, we hadn't seen anything resembling greatness from Bryce Young.  I hope that he continues to improve.  I hope he turns into our next franchise QB.  But it's on his shoulders.  If TMac is part of that, great.  If TMac flops, it should not affect an evaluation of BY.

BY doesn't need to be unlocked.  He needs to perform.

[CRA]

"Starting in Week 5, Young was fourth in completion percentage over expectation (NFL Next Gen Stats) but 31st in off-target rate. That means he was connecting with his receivers on high-leverage throws deep downfield, which is explosive but also unsustainable. Confidence is high, though, and he has earned the right to build on his improvement."

 

Basically, what Young was doing down the stretch last year may not be something he will be able to maintain for the long haul, much like a major-league hitter posting a high batting average courtesy of an inflated BABIP.

Overall, Young threw for 2,403 yards, 15 touchdowns and nine interceptions while completing 60.9 percent of his passes and posting a passer rating of 82.2 in 2024, which was certainly a significant step up from where he was durign his rookie campaign.

Insider exposes Panthers QB Bryce Young may have been too lucky last season

It took one second of googling to find an article posted just yesterday....to find someone largely thinking the same thing.  But I get it, it's that time of year.   I just don't feel the need to do what you are doing here given I am devoting and saving up MY energy to drastically oversell Hunter Renfrow.  

[frankw]

I think we should all be able to come to an agreement that Canales Bryce and the receivers need to establish a consistent and formidable deep passing game this season. The ingredients and the recipe are all there ready for some gourmet cooking. No excuses.

[ImfromClayton]

It's been a long time, but I think we are finally good enough to at least be average! Given the last few years, I'm absolutely thrilled with average. 

[ncsfinest21]

We all see he is capable as of the end of the season last year. But the thing is can he consistently put that out every week. That's unproven at this point and not even a great receiver can correct a bad throw. But boy am I hoping he proves me wrong like he did last year and turn me into a believer. Im rooting for him just dont know.

Edited yesterday at 02:10 PM by ncsfinest21

[CRA]

38 minutes ago, frankw said:

I think we should all be able to come to an agreement that Canales Bryce and the receivers need to establish a consistent and formidable deep passing game this season. The ingredients and the recipe are all there ready for some gourmet cooking. No excuses.

I mean, we need to improve everywhere.  Short, mid, deep.  We get below average results/production from our short game.  We get zero YAC from the O overall.  Too many off target throws.  It's like the entire O is just a bunch of TEs where the play ends at the completion.  I think some of that is the chunk ball O of Canales paired w/ a QB that should be in a scheme that is YAC scheme emphasized.  

[frankw]

7 minutes ago, CRA said:

I mean, we need to improve everywhere.  Short, mid, deep.  We get below average results/production from our short game.  We get zero YAC from the O overall.  Too many off target throws.  It's like the entire O is just a bunch of TEs where the play ends at the completion.  I think some of that is the chunk ball O of Canales paired w/ a QB that should be in a scheme that is YAC scheme emphasized.  

I agree with you. We'll get some answers from camp and certainly all these guys will be getting a good amount of reps in preseason.

[CRA]

9 minutes ago, frankw said:

I agree with you. We'll get some answers from camp and certainly all these guys will be getting a good amount of reps in preseason.

the answer. 

[frankw]

[Waldo]

2 hours ago, frankw said:

I agree with you. We'll get some answers from camp and certainly all these guys will be getting a good amount of reps in preseason.

Meh camp is where Bryce looks the best. The answers will start to trickle in during the joint practices and that game but game 1 has been the real starting line for the reality of the season the last 2 years.

Edited yesterday at 05:09 PM by Waldo

[frankw]

13 minutes ago, Waldo said:

Meh camp is where Bryce looks the best. The answers will start to trickle in during the joint practices and that game but game 1 has been the real starting line for the reality of the season the last 2 years.

Yes and no. Actually last years training camp there were a lot of questions about a lack of deep passes and Bryce Young had a number of miscues that led to us incorrectly assuming our defense was actually decent. At one point Shy Tuttle had a turnover returned for a touchdown. Need I say more?

I do agree joint practices will be the most telling though.

[CRA]

deep diving into the fact YAC is non-existent in this offense is just mind-blowing.   They got to solve that if they hope to get this pass game out of the NFL gutter.    

and, I think that largely falls on Canales.  

[Navy_football]

13 minutes ago, CRA said:

deep diving into the fact YAC is non-existent in this offense is just mind-blowing.   They got to solve that if they hope to get this pass game out of the NFL gutter.    

and, I think that largely falls on Canales.  

Guys are running free in Carolina's secondary all the time. Why don't we ever have guys running free in secondaries?