The Panthers’ Bryce Young Problem is Getting Old

[TheSpecialJuan]

12 hours ago, Proudiddy said:

A deep dive into some advanced analytics to demonstrate just how truly horrible Bryce Young actually is.  Really brings into question what kind of organization would keep trying to push this guy as an NFL player, let alone a franchise QB/starter.  This find is courtesy of @frankw , who shared it in the MMF thread last night.  And boy, is it damning.

https://www.sharpfootballanalysis.com/analysis/nfl-week-1-recap-bryce-young-panthers/
 

Bryce Young completed only 51% of his passes for 4.4 YPA in Week 1.

The only QBs who were worse were a rookie starting vs one of the best defenses in the NFL (Cam Ward) and Russell Wilson behind one of the worst offensive lines in the NFL.

Even if you remove the interceptions, Young ranked #28 in success (32%) and #25 in EPA per attempt (-0.24).

If we just want to look at the simplest of passes, those thrown five air yards or less, Young completed just 56% of attempts (#29) with a 13% success rate (#29), -0.54 EPA per attempt, and a mere 2.8 yards per attempt (#27).

This was despite playing most of the game in garbage time on account of his terrible early game performance putting his team in a 20-3 deficit at halftime.

The Jaguars defense kept things very vanilla for Young.

They didn’t blitz on nearly 80% of dropbacks and played no blitz zone on 72%, the #4 highest rate any quarterback faced.

Young wasn’t even pressured often, taking pressure on just 28% of dropbacks thanks to how soft the Jaguars played him.

Keep in mind, this Jaguars pass defense ranked #29 in the NFL last year.

If we try to throw out garbage time entirely, I looked at QB performance in the first half when not pressured.

Out of 30 qualifying QBs in Week 1, Young ranked:

• Dead last in EPA (-0.60)
• Dead last in success rate (20%)
• Dead last in Y/A at 3.6
• Dead last in passer rating at 27.5

How are you averaging just 3.6 Y/A on unpressured dropbacks in the first half of a game?

Thinking back to that halftime deficit, I’m reminded of this stat: The Panthers led at halftime in three of Young’s 12 starts last year.

They are now 0 for 1 this year.

In his 29 career starts, the Panthers have led at halftime in 5 of 29 (17%).

Since 2000, there have been 37 QBs to start at least 25 games in their first two years in the NFL.

Young is the ONLY QB to lead at halftime in fewer than six of his starts.

Young is the ONLY QB to lead at halftime in fewer than 20% of his starts.

So many people were backing Young based on the super small sample at the end of the year when they thought he played better, and he did play moderately better.

But even in those games, he delivered average stats against the NFL’s easiest schedule of pass defenses to close the year, with every opponent ranking 20th or worse.

There’s never been a QB who rebounded from performance like Young delivered in his first couple of years to go on to become a franchise quarterback.

Some stay around as a journeyman, but they don’t lead teams.

The Panthers put all their eggs in the Young basket this offseason.

The Panthers were the darlings to win the NFC South by many.

Yes, it’s only one game, and there certainly are opportunities to improve.

But Dave Canales has now had two full offseasons to work with Young.

He should know Young’s strengths and weaknesses and figure out how to optimize Young’s performance.

What pivot do we have after that Week 1 performance?

Surely Canales tried to use his best stuff in Week 1, and it failed miserably.

The schedule is soft, but the clock is ticking, on both Young and this coaching staff if they don’t figure out a solution quickly.
 

This experiment should’ve ended after his rookie year, no matter the investment.  But really, the pick should’ve never been made, as myself and many others here have lamented even before the pick was made, but there’s nothing we can do about that now.  It’s more insulting with every week they continue to trot him out there to not only start, but to play at all on an NFL field.

 

some men aren't looking for anything logical, like money. They can't be bought, bullied, reasoned, or negotiated with. Some men just want to watch The Huddle burn

[Cpt slay a ho]

I mean this has been clear as day for awhile to be honest, I know he had the good play towards the end last year but there’s far too many games where he is struggling and that’s being nice, to pass for over 100 yards. 
 

In the modern nfl that’s just unacceptable period, not a winning recipe in any shape or form 

[Bear Hands]

Our scouts better be taking a good hard look at the college landscape after the opener.

I hate this whole thing about giving the nice guy grace -- he has sucked, and it's just the reality of the situation. 

Yes, it sucks because he's a nice guy with good spirit, but it is what it is.

 

[Loyalty4Life]

On 9/9/2025 at 7:28 PM, CRA said:

Narratives have to change real quick to defend bad players. 

when Bryce was drafted it was THE best place for any rookie to land.  All star staff.   But since the anomaly QB stunk there was little coaching. 

Generally the worst foobtall teams have one thing in common.  A massive QB issue.  Bad QBs make everything worse.  Any small crack becomes the Grand Canyon. 

Bryce had mental concerns at Bama.  Bryce seemed to need a mental break 3 games into his rookie season.  Bryce seems to consistently fold to pressure at the start of every single season (3 in a row) being the worst version of himself.  THE only time he even flirted with okay play……was with house money and believed to be done in Carolina. 

In Bryce’s last 3 games….HE was good in one of them.  The last one.  In fact, it’s the only actual good game of his entire career if you aren’t going a Bryce curve 

Narratives change real fast because of how fast information travels these days and the need to generate clicks.  People said the Panthers were a great place for him to land but just because it was said doesn't make it true.  Was that true?  Did we have an All-star staff?  Did we have a good front office?  Did we surround him with talent?  Could the defense carry the load?  You have to squirt really hard to think it was just a bad rookie QB stinking it up all by his lonesome.  

Saying the worst football teams have bad QB's is just low handing fruit.  It's the easiest thing to grab onto.  It could also be teams that have a bad coaching staff or no talent to surrounding the QB or a horrible front office.  It can also be a horrible QB.  To this day I think that T-Law going to the Jags might have ruined his career because of Urban Meyer. 

I don't agree at all that Bryce's only good game of his entire career was against the Falcons.  

Week 16 against the Cards (which is one of those last 3 games we mentioned)
36-30 OT win.  Threw 3 TD's

Week 12 against KC
30-27 loss but Bryce went 24 of 35 for 263 yrds.  It was Mahomes magic that got us.

Week 10 against the Bucs
298 yards in a close game with a passing TD and a running TD.

We even had those flashes of what he could be in 2023 against the Packers, the 95-yard game winning drive vs the Falcons, or how he outplayed CJ Shroud with the win over the Texans.

Especially in this respect you're not being truthful.

[raleigh-panther]

3 hours ago, Loyalty4Life said:

Narratives change real fast because of how fast information travels these days and the need to generate clicks.  People said the Panthers were a great place for him to land but just because it was said doesn't make it true.  Was that true?  Did we have an All-star staff?  Did we have a good front office?  Did we surround him with talent?  Could the defense carry the load?  You have to squirt really hard to think it was just a bad rookie QB stinking it up all by his lonesome.  

Saying the worst football teams have bad QB's is just low handing fruit.  It's the easiest thing to grab onto.  It could also be teams that have a bad coaching staff or no talent to surrounding the QB or a horrible front office.  It can also be a horrible QB.  To this day I think that T-Law going to the Jags might have ruined his career because of Urban Meyer. 

I don't agree at all that Bryce's only good game of his entire career was against the Falcons.  

Week 16 against the Cards (which is one of those last 3 games we mentioned)
36-30 OT win.  Threw 3 TD's

Week 12 against KC
30-27 loss but Bryce went 24 of 35 for 263 yrds.  It was Mahomes magic that got us.

Week 10 against the Bucs
298 yards in a close game with a passing TD and a running TD.

We even had those flashes of what he could be in 2023 against the Packers, the 95-yard game winning drive vs the Falcons, or how he outplayed CJ Shroud with the win over the Texans.

Especially in this respect you're not being truthful.

He needs to win when it matters, not when it doesn’t.  The Panthers were out of the playoffs

 I doubt seriously that those teams came into Charlotte fearing the Panthers and certainly not fearing Young and that is a problem.  the playbook is cut down exponentially for him…either because of arm strength or ability.  Opposing defenses have zero to fear from him  zero 

This past weekend mattered.  3 turnovers  should’ve been 4  it was incredibly important for him to perform well  he didn’t and let’s not kid ourselves that the Jags are world beaters 

The more expectation pressures the worse he is.

he is 1 and 15 on the road 

how many games has he been the reason they won ?  How many the reason they lost ?  Has he ever elevated his team ?  

look at other teams in the league vs young.  Everything is painful and laborious. ..and that’s what happens when the field is not stretched.  The offense under Young had has absolutely no flow or rhythm 

at some point, a pro team has to fish or cut bait like the cards did with Rosen, or other teams that have moved on.  It is time….even if he manages to win 3 or 4 games, it is over 

his ceiling is his floor 

I’m sorry for fans, for him but he isn’t even an avg nfl qb and that’s not good enough 

[mrBdawg]

4 hours ago, raleigh-panther said:

He needs to win when it matters, not when it doesn’t.  The Panthers were out of the playoffs

 I doubt seriously that those teams came into Charlotte fearing the Panthers and certainly not fearing Young and that is a problem.  the playbook is cut down exponentially for him…either because of arm strength or ability.  Opposing defenses have zero to fear from him  zero 

This past weekend mattered.  3 turnovers  should’ve been 4  it was incredibly important for him to perform well  he didn’t and let’s not kid ourselves that the Jags are world beaters 

The more expectation pressures the worse he is.

he is 1 and 15 on the road 

how many games has he been the reason they won ?  How many the reason they lost ?  Has he ever elevated his team ?  

look at other teams in the league vs young.  Everything is painful and laborious. ..and that’s what happens when the field is not stretched.  The offense under Young had has absolutely no flow or rhythm 

at some point, a pro team has to fish or cut bait like the cards did with Rosen, or other teams that have moved on.  It is time….even if he manages to win 3 or 4 games, it is over 

his ceiling is his floor 

I’m sorry for fans, for him but he isn’t even an avg nfl qb and that’s not good enough 

The whole “field not being stretched” thing might’ve worked for rookie year Bryce but it doesn’t anymore lmao

He takes several go ball attempts every game. Literally threw like 6 deep balls this past game. Do you think other teams just chuck the ball deep all game?

they don’t.