The starter under center may have changed (again), but Week 8 yielded similar results for the Carolina Panthers.
Sunday’s 28-14 loss to the Denver Broncos saw the overwhelmed offense operate with little to no margin thanks to a very overwhelming defense. But while there were more lows than highs from the afternoon, there were a few potential bright spots.
Here are the biggest takeaways from the defeat from the Mile High City . . .
Bryce Young's return to the starting lineup
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2023’s No. 1 overall draft choice was benched two weeks into his second season. His play was underwhelming, at best, and he looked like a quarterback without a hint of confidence.
Instead of sulking in defeat, Young has been active in the locker room, meetings and practice. Head coach Dave Canales said earlier in the week that the 23-year-old has remained engaged and involved since veteran Andy Dalton was named the starter.
With Dalton out due to sprained right thumb from a minor car accident, Young took control of the offense and was okay against Denver’s highly-ranked defense. The ball was coming out on time and in rhythm.
I was more impressed with his answers against pressure and him showing some confidence as a thrower—something that was non-existent earlier this year. That attitude especially showed on the team’s final offensive touch of the game, when they trekked down the field for a 10-play, 98-yard touchdown drive.
Young did throw two interceptions during the second half, one intended for tight end Tommy Tremble on a miscommunication and then another for rookie wideout Jalen Coker on a fade that was underthrown. But there were quite a few great throws Young had stacked up during the game.
It’s unclear if Young starts next week against the New Orleans Saints. If he does, the expectations should remain the same as this week—continue to progress and show why he deserves a second chance with Carolina.
Rookie WRs step up
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With top wideouts Adam Thielen and Diontae Johnson on the shelf due to injuries, Carolina got a closer look at their rookie playmakers in increased roles. Today gave the team a glimpse of Xavier Legette at the “X” and Coker in the movement “Z.”
Coker (four receptions, 78 yards) made some terrific catches, including an extended grab on a deep throw in the third quarter and one down the seam in the fourth. Then, he caught his first career touchdown to cap off the last possession of the outing.
He has not only proved to be a reliable target in the passing game, but one heck of an undrafted free-agent signing by general manager Dan Morgan and crew from this past spring.
Legette (four receptions, 38 yards) caught the first touchdown of the game, but was a tad inconsistent during the day. He had a drop on a seam throw in the first half and didn’t showcase any explosive plays.
In the final seconds, he did make a terrific adjustment and catch downfield. However, depending on what Carolina does with Johnson and Thielen by next week’s trade deadline, Legette will continue to have plenty of opportunities throughout the season.
Defense shows signs of life
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The good news? Carolina is starting to get healthier with key starters in defensive lineman A’Shawn Robinson, edge rusher Jadeveon Clowney and inside linebacker Josey Jewell returning to the lineup this week.
The bad news? The team’s defense is still one of the worst in the NFL due to the lack of talent and personnel.
Throughout the game, the second level of Carolina’s defense had their eyes stuck in the backfield. Broncos head coach and play-caller Sean Payton seemed to be spamming play-action and middle-of-the-field throws on what felt like nearly every pass play. In turn, rookie quarterback Bo Nix had a career game (284 passing yards, four total touchdowns), which seems to be the norm against Carolina these days.
Nevertheless, it was hard not to notice that there were some signs of life in terms of stops, tackling in space, pressure on the quarterback and penetration in the backfield. There was effort and competitiveness that gave the offense multiple opportunities throughout the game, including a pair of takeaways courtesy of nose tackle Shy Tuttle.
Credit does need to go to defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero for keeping this unit focused, despite the many explosives allowed. Today was also one of their better showings against the run, allowing just 3.2 yards per carry over 32 tries.
Do not expect this defense to fix everything this season or this offseason. It’s going to take some time to rebuild this unit from top to bottom.
Yet, building on some of the encouraging signs from certain aspects of this defense would help this team.
