The Daily Observer London Desk: Reporter- Judith Benjamin
CHARLOTTE, N.C. — After back-to-back losses to begin his NFL career, Bryce Young sat out a Week 3 trip to Seattle last year with a sprained ankle that many figured was more of a mental break for the No. 1 pick.
Well, the Carolina Panthers again are headed west in Week 3 coming off consecutive defeats — both much worse than last year’s — and it’s worth asking if Young could benefit from getting the week off.
Or longer.
With each loss, Young looks less and less like the answer at quarterback. The 5-foot-10, 2021 Heisman winner completed a respectable 18 of 26 passes Sunday in the 26-3 defeat to the Los Angeles Chargers. But those completions went for a paltry 84 yards, the fourth-lowest passing total in franchise history for a quarterback with at least 25 pass attempts.
Young looks overwhelmed. He’s jumping to make throws over pass rushers and seems scared to throw the ball downfield, probably because nothing good has happened when he’s done so. One of Young’s few downfield attempts was intercepted by safety Elijah Molden in a play that looked eerily similar to Young’s first-pass-of-the-season pick in the 47-10 embarrassment at New Orleans.
Fans booed loudly after Young’s interception Sunday, then booed after another third-down throw went short of the first-down marker. The crowd that featured Charlotte rapper DaBaby and several fans with bags on their heads booed as Panthers players left the field at halftime — with 15 1/2 games remaining.
They weren’t the only frustrated ones.
GO DEEPER
NFL Week 2 takeaways: What Chiefs’ latest survival shows, Ravens problems, Saints thriving
Veteran receiver Adam Thielen lost his cool and began yelling on the sidelines after Young was sacked midway through the third quarter, when Thielen still hadn’t been targeted. He later apologized to Young, even though he said his “boiling over” moment wasn’t directed at Young specifically.
The Panthers’ receiving numbers looked like something from a middle school game.
Running back Chuba Hubbard led the team with four receptions … for 12 yards. Diontae Johnson had a team-high six targets, which resulted in the Molden interception and three receptions. Johnson’s longest catch covered 7 yards. Young’s longest completion was a 12-yarder to tight end Tommy Tremble on the first play of the second half.
Johnson was asked if he was surprised by the lack of downfield shots.
“We all are,” he said. “But it is what it is. We’re not the ones calling the plays. So our job is to go out there and execute every play that they call and put it on film.”
Coach Dave Canales stood up for Young when asked if he would start next week at Las Vegas.
“Bryce is our quarterback,” he said. “We’re going to just continue to shore up and fix the things we need to fundamentally from a scheme standpoint. These are all valuable reps. These are all valuable games. We’ll learn a lot from this game and hopefully we’ll take another step this week.”
Canales faces a tough decision when it comes to Young. Benching him in favor of Andy Dalton after two games would be an indictment of his offense and the scouting ability of general manager Dan Morgan, who was the assistant GM when the Panthers traded four draft picks (two firsts and two seconds) and wideout DJ Moore to the Chicago Bears to take Young with the first pick.
But Canales risks alienating the locker room and the fan base if he continues to play a quarterback who doesn’t give the Panthers the best chance at winning. If the fans were restless Sunday, the reception will be even ruder in a few weeks if the Panthers are still winless and Young is struggling.
Owner David Tepper will probably take the decision off Canales’ plate at that point. Some would encourage the Panthers to grit their teeth through a rough season to get the No. 1 pick. But losing the fans is what prompted Tepper to move on from Ron Rivera and Matt Rhule.
Fans were heard chanting expletives along with Tepper’s name and encouraging the hedge-fund billionaire to sell the team.
And the Panthers are in danger of turning every home game into a stadium takeover for visiting fans amid boobirds and fans with bags over their heads.
