Fans hoping to see immediate dominance from Bryce Young will have to wait. The Panthers hosted the Jets in their first preseason game Saturday, and while the No. 1 overall pick showed fleeting moments of brilliance, the majority of the afternoon was a total bust. None of that was his fault.
Bryce Young never had a chance in his Panthers debut
Young never stood a chance with the Panthers o-line against the Jets.
Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports
James Dator has been covering a wide range of sports for SB Nation for over a decade, with a special focus on the NFL.
Playing against the Jets’ first-string defense, Young showed poise and potential on his first pass of the game — moving through a full four read progression before finding Adam Thielen on a chain-moving throw that translates perfectly to what he’ll need to do on Sundays.
This same play highlighted a major issue for the Panthers as well: Offensive line play. Previously believed to be a strength for Carolina, the OL got beat up all afternoon by the Jets pass rushers, particularly with Bryce under center. Despite playing only one quarter, the rookie QB was sacked once and hit three times — under duress on every down.
It’s pretty bad when this is your takeaway stat for the first preseason game for your rookie QB.
Young finished a pedestrian 4-for-6 for 21 yards. His two incompletions came on a throwaway after the pocket collapsed, and another where a miscommunication between D.J. Chark and Young led to an errant throw. It was one of those games where you really had to dig to find the good, and it was there — albeit buried under offensive line mediocrity. It was bad enough that the line was pulled aside after the first game of preseason and chewed out for their terrible performance.
To be fair, it was against the Jets — arguably the best defense in the NFL, but Young being his four times in a quarter wasn’t in the game plan for the Panthers. Especially considering the team will need to protect him more than other quarterbacks because of his smaller frame.
The offensive performance from Carolina was eye-opening for all the wrong reasons. The supposition this season was that Young had a chance to shine because of strong line play, and that it would be the receivers who remained the question mark. Seeing a veteran line get so overwhelmed is a mess, and it’s a major problem when the team has already committed to Young as starter. It’s early to hit the panic button, but if the line can’t get it together then throwing in their No. 1 pick to get battered is a huge problem.
We’ll learn more this Friday when the Panthers play the Giants in their second preseason game. Keep an eye on this trend for Carolina’s blocking, because no amount of Bryce Young elusiveness will save him from being put in the dirt 15-20 times a game.
See More:
