On his way to his best game, Bryce Young assumed “control” of the Panthers’ offense.
For Sunday’s game was Young’s finest of his brief career. With no turnovers and 312 passing yards, he finished 23–35. Compared to his next closest game, his passer rating of 113 was almost ten points better. It’s only the beginning for Chark, too.
On Sunday, Chark stated of his quarterback, “There’s so much more to come.” “We know him to be this way, at least in this locker room, even though he’s easygoing and making plays. Absolutely, we have always had faith in him. He’ll be unquestionably among the best quarterbacks in three, four, or five years.”
Young and the Panthers had finally found the rhythm they had been searching for all season by the time the second quarter arrived. Plays like as the 19-yard pass in the flat that Young completed to Chark, with Preston Smith slamming into his face and double coverage on his receiver, demonstrated this.
It showed during plays like the one in which Young rolled right on a bootleg and lofted a pass over Jaire Alexander’s head, setting up Thielen for a one-handed catch, or the 17-yard crosser that Young delivered in stride to Thielen on the same drive.Asked about what Young displayed against the Packers, Thielen responded, “Man, impressive.” The things that many of us witnessed at OTAs and training camp are truly what I witnessed. Only such self-assurance and disposition. You all work together to create some plays for him after that, and be careful he’s got the hot hand, so to speak. Thus, that’s clearly really amazing, and we’re eager to build on it.”
“It’s as good as we’ve looked as a unit,” Young continued. “I think it’s all of us, regardless of the stats or anything else that may suggest otherwise. You can point at one player and say, ‘Oh, it’s a good game.'” As a team, I believe this was a solid starting point because everyone pitched in.”
Still, the late-quarter touchdown pass to Chark was unquestionably the rookie quarterback’s best play of the day. Play action suddenly found Young in a first-and-goal situation from the Packers’ 10-yard line. Young used his legs to buy time as he waited for Chark to disengage his defense and open up just enough room. Afterwards, the previous Heisman Trophy winner inserted the needle into Chark.
Young clarified, “We were able to step up and find a lane to extend because we were kind of a full field.” Excellent performance once more by DJ, who deviated from his path and collaborated with me during the scramble exercise.”
stated Chark, “Whenever he needs a play, I want to be there and make it for him and be that guy.”
Note that the box score has several limitations. With an average of 349.9 yards per game allowed, Young was up against a defense that ranks among the worst in the league. Furthermore, the Panthers were ultimately unable to secure the victory. With 13 seconds left, Thielen found Piűeiro with a 19-yard pass, putting the ball squarely in his grasp and giving the Panthers a chance to force OT. However, Piűeiro was unable to clock the ball in time to give their kicker a chance. Over the little Christmas vacation, that’s what Young will remember most.
“We lost, which stings.” We’re here to win, not to pretend to any moral superiority,” Young remarked.
The rookie season, however, is also a time to interact, learn, and discover one’s exact potential in the NFL. The Carolina Panthers, led by Bryce Young, made significant progress in that regard on Sunday. Because of it, Chark feels comfortable saying that in a few years, Young will rank among the league’s top quarterbacks. The confidence he has to say it even today comes from it.
“Obviously that’s speaking in the future, but just right now, he’s continuing to work his way to it,” Chark explained. “He is a man of daily work attendance; to whom much is given, much is needed. I’m glad for him as a result.