These numbers are a hot mess:
- 42 completions/70 attempts, 490 yards, 2 touchdowns and 6 interceptions
- 8 completions/16 attempts, 66yards, 0 touchdowns and 0 interceptions
- 10 completions/29 attempts, 120 yards, 0 touchdowns and 1 interception
- 18 completions/33 attempts 219 yards, 0 touchdowns, and 0 interceptions.
These stats are paltry, anemic and were produced by either perennial backups or busts. They could also be the numbers from the first two starts of Peyton Manning, Joe Montana, John Elway and Tom Brady – respectively.
Imagine Jim Mora, Bill Walsh, Dan Reeves and Bill Belichick giving up on these quarterbacks during the rough patches of the first two games of their Hall Of Fame careers – amid the overreactions from fans.
The trajectory of Bryce Young’s career remains to be seen. It’s presumptuous to say he will have a hall of fame worthy career. It’s also presumptuous to assume, after two starts, that he’s a bust.
Progression looks a lot like this; miscues, a plethora of incomplete passes and interceptions at times. Progression is a season loaded with three steps forward one week and four steps backward the next. Sometimes progression isn’t quantified and that’s where we are with Young after two weeks of play.
Bryce isn’t in a position to thrive in the offense going into his third week as a pro. He’s behind an inconsistent offensive line that’s missing key pieces in Austin Corbett and Brady Christensen. Also, he’s trying to learn an offensive system that’s still working on establishing an identity.
The conditions aren’t ideal for Young to succeed right now, but he has shown some promise in his struggles.
Granted this clip was from garbage time of Monday night’s loss to the Saints, this might help Young in the upcoming weeks. Notice where his hips and shoulders are as the play unfolds. The positioning is subtly causing misdirection in the secondary. That misdirection generated space for Jonathan Mingo to catch the ball near the goal line.
Since Carolina’s receivers are slower and struggling to gain separation, Young can manipulate the defense by using his hips and shoulders, or even in his cadence.Â
In Week 1 against the Falcons, Young had a drive where he looked like he was in control and poised. He completed dig route passes to Hayden Hurst and Terrance Marshall Jr. He also completed a quick out pass to Mingo in that same drive.
During the season, Young will look like a poised veteran and he will also look like a rookie who is learning on the fly. I understand that the Panthers are in the thick of a five-year playoff drought. I understand the frustration, but the season is just only two weeks old. Young’s NFL career is only two weeks old. He has some attributes and intangibles, so it’s not like he’s lost out there. What Young needs more than anything is grace and space to make these and learn from them.
These numbers are a hot mess:
- 42 completions/ 71 attempts, 299 yards, 2 touchdowns, and 2 interceptions.
After two games, these are Bryce Young’s numbers. They are not very promising, but neither were Manning’s, Montana’s Elway’s and Brady’s. They were afforded space to do the work and develop into legends.Â
Young should be afforded the same.
