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This is the Bryce Young the NFL expected.
The 2023 No. 1 pick has played much better since returning to the Carolina Panthers’ starting lineup five weeks ago, and the gradual progression of late has been most encouraging. A coach recently preparing for his team’s game against the Panthers noted that Young’s comfort in the pocket was a starting point for improvement.
Young has completed 60.4 percent of his passes over the past five games for 1,082 yards, six touchdowns, three interceptions and an 83.5 passer rating. He has also recorded 82 rushing yards and a score. These are not flashy numbers, but they have been efficient.
And let’s not forget that the Panthers still have enough holes on the roster to compete for the No. 1 pick in April. Young returned to a team that was once again a seller at the trade deadline.
Athletic’s Week 14 QB Rankings
Young, who has had three head coaches (one interim) in two seasons, started poorly and was benched after two games. He did not throw a touchdown pass as the Panthers generated just 13 points in two blowout losses, and he was picked off three times and sacked six times.
So the Panthers turned to veteran Andy Dalton, a controversial move that left some around the league wondering if they were done with Young altogether. Head coach Dave Canales was credited with his previous work with Russell Wilson and Baker Mayfield, so Young’s two-game tryout with his new coach was alarmingly short after the Panthers invested so much in drafting him.
To think, Young’s return to the field wasn’t even part of the plan. Dalton injured his thumb in a car accident, so the Panthers had no choice but to go back to Young.
He had one of his best statistical performances in his re-debut, a 28-14 loss to the Broncos, before leading the Panthers to tight wins against the Saints and Giants. But Young really caught everyone’s attention when he rallied the offense for a game-tying game against the Chiefs, who ultimately won at the buzzer. And on Sunday, Young was in a pinch again in a tough overtime loss to the Buccaneers.
“The surprising thing before the benching was that he had difficulty dealing with the pressure. That wasn’t a problem at the university,” said a rival director. “He has more self-confidence now. He used to get hit. He seemed like a battered player.
“They have gotten better overall as an offense. When he sits down and comes back, he has more confidence in what he’s doing.”
Young was sacked 62 times in 16 starts as a rookie, so the pocket jitters were understandable. He has also dealt with planning and regime changes. If you force a young quarterback to constantly catch up to the environment around him, the fundamentals can be lost.
Since the chaos descended on Carolina, Young has gained more confidence in his skill players. He had just two completions of at least 20 yards in his first two starts of the season, but he has tallied 15 such plays since returning.
Things are finally moving in the right direction, with Young and Canales looking like a better pair than they seemed in September.
“Bryce struggled, but it looks like he’s starting to understand the offense,” said another evaluator. “He is a little better protected and is decisive. He didn’t become number 1 for nothing.”
GO DEEPER
Scoop City: risers and fallers after week 13
First of all, cousins
Kirk Cousins had his worst outing with the Atlanta Falcons, throwing four interceptions in a 17-13 loss to a Los Angeles Chargers team with a strong defense. But the 36-year-old now leads the NFL with 13 interceptions, and he has no touchdowns against six picks during a three-game losing streak that left the Falcons tied with the Buccaneers in the NFC South.
With these factors, along with Cousins clearly still recovering from a torn Achilles tendon, the pressure will increase to turn rookie Michael Penix Jr. to turn. The first-round pick blew away the Falcons’ brass with the way he conducted himself in the building. offseason to his regular season work on the practice field. There is a lot of optimism about the future of Penix.
But there is also hope for the present. Cousins signed a four-year, $180 million contract last offseason, and the Falcons own the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Bucs. The Falcons rank fourth in passing yards and eighth in total yards this season, so the offense has pulled its weight, even if it has been sporadic at times, including the performance of four picks that gave Atlanta took a win.
This is all to say that Cousins should, in theory, give the Falcons a better chance of reaching the playoffs than a rookie with five career passing attempts. Oh, and the Falcons are about to visit the Minnesota Vikings, so there’s no reason to think they’ll sideline Cousins for an emotional game against his former team.
GO DEEPER
NFL Playoff Photo After Week 13: Steelers seize control of AFC North, Bills capture AFC East
But what if the slump continues, or if the Falcons fall a few games behind the Bucs? It would make sense to give Penix a glimpse into the future to at least open up the possibility of switching to Plan B in 2025, especially since he’s been crushing it in practice.
Keeping Cousins healthy would also be a benefit, considering how difficult it is for someone to come back from an Achilles injury so quickly. Cousins has $27.5 million in guaranteed money through 2025, so it would make sense that he would want to get the most out of him under the circumstances.
However, these decisions are not made in a vacuum. If Penix played well, there would be more pressure to play him in 2025. And if the Falcons agreed with that sentiment, they would have to find a new home for Cousins, who has a no-trade clause.
The Falcons could absorb the financial impact of parting ways with Cousins because they would be promoting a quarterback on a rookie contract, but it’s also the kind of decision that could backfire dramatically if Penix doesn’t succeed immediately. And no matter how well a quarterback performs in practice, you don’t know what a QB will look like in a game until he gathers enough experience.
It’s a tempting thought, but probably not something the Falcons should act on unless it becomes absolutely necessary.
GO DEEPER
Josh Allen, Saquon Barkley, Lamar Jackson and a thrilling MVP race: Sando’s Pick Six
Back at the top
Josh Allen returned to the top of the rankings for the first time since Weeks 4-5. The Buffalo Bills QB opened the season at No. 2 behind Kansas City’s Patrick Mahomes. Allen stayed there for three weeks and then wrestled a few matches before tumbling to No. 4 for four weeks. He earned a lot of attention at No. 1 a week ago, and his incredible performance in the snow against the 49ers, coupled with the loss of Baltimore Ravens QB Lamar Jackson to the Eagles, cemented the change.
Amari Cooper and Josh Allen connect for the ultimate touchdown in the snow ‼️
🎥 @NFL pic.twitter.com/xcOw7jZSEB
— The Athletic (@TheAthletic) December 2, 2024
Allen’s passing/receiving touchdown will be one of the highlights of the season, the answer to a trivia question and possibly one of the most iconic plays in Bills history. Maybe to some it will be seen as his MVP moment.
But from this vantage point, Allen began his mission to overtake Jackson in the MVP race in Week 11 with his 26-yard touchdown run on fourth-and-2 to effectively beat the Chiefs. The race is far from a formality, however, as Jackson, Detroit Lions QB Jared Goff and Philadelphia Eagles running back Saquon Barkley don’t think they’ll be going anywhere.
Jackson’s numbers are still better across the board, save for rushing touchdowns, where Allen has a 6-3 edge. Jackson’s Ravens also blew out Allen’s Bills in Week 4.
But the Bills are battling for the AFC’s No. 1 title, with Allen coming through with some big moments. A legitimate argument can be made for the main characters in the race.
Injury notes
• According to league sources, Baker Mayfield should be good to play against the Raiders this week. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers QB was still in pain Monday after a Panthers defender stepped on the back of his right leg Sunday, prompting Mayfield to visit the injury tent and wear a walking boot after the game. But there was no need to undergo further examination. Mayfield has had much more serious injuries in the past.
• Jaguars coach Doug Pederson said Monday they are still assessing options with Trevor Lawrence, who suffered a scary concussion against the Texans on Sunday. Lawrence will remain ranked until a decision is made on his availability.
• Drew Lock became the 45th QB to appear this season as he started the Giants’ final game and the team declined to announce which of Daniel Jones’ former backups would start the upcoming game against the Saints.
Dropped from the rankings: Giants’ Tommy DeVito (forearm injury), No. 32 last week.
(Photo by Bryce Young: Matt Kelley/Getty Images)