Panthers QB report card: How Bryce Young performed in Week 6 loss vs. Miami Dolphins
For the first time this season — even in a three-score defeat — Bryce Young showed some major glimpses of the star quarterback prospect the Panthers heavily invested in for the future.
As the Miami Dolphins poured on points against the Panthers’ banged-up defense at Hard Rock Stadium on Sunday, Young — the NFL Draft’s first overall pick — made consistent plays in the first half with an up-tempo offense of his own. Targeting wideout Adam Thielen early and often, Young looked poised and polished as he accurately distributed the ball in the first half of a 42-21 road loss to Miami.
And while it was a sixth loss in as many weeks, Young’s performance offered a glimmer of hope for the future that had never been so vividly displayed during the first month of the season. Young looked like a quarterback who could guide an offense long term, despite the many faults of his current squad.
While the Panthers’ fan base isn’t one for moral victories — nor should they be at 0-6 following a blowout loss — Young’s performance, along with a newfound fondness for tempo on offense, should give the Carolina faithful some intrigue coming out of the Week 7 bye.
The Dolphins are Super Bowl contenders in a stacked AFC. They came into the matchup with the most explosive offense (36.2 points per game entering Week 6) in the NFL.
This matchup was always going to be a track meet for the Panthers, who have repeatedly shown that they don’t have the weapons in place to be a high-scoring offense. With that in mind, Young’s individual performance was solid enough to show that the quarterback of the present and future is growing and gaining perspective on the field.
Here is how Young graded out in the Week 6 loss:
Young’s stats vs. Miami
Young completed 23 of 38 passes (60.5%) for 217 yards and a touchdown. He led two scoring drives on the day and didn’t turn the ball over.
The rookie quarterback finished the game with a 85.1 passer rating.
Young’s spreading the ball grade
Young targeted nine weapons in the passing game on Sunday. Thielen was easily his top target with 11 catches for 115 yards and a touchdown on 13 looks.
With the Panthers working in a hurry-up offense, Carolina wasn’t quick to take weapons off the field regularly at the outset. Young found a consistent rhythm with his season-long top target, Thielen, who was thrown at four times during the first three offensive series. Thielen, predictably, caught all for four targets for 53 yards and a touchdown — including an impressive 27-yard gain that saw Young and the veteran wideout team up on an excellent throw-route combination against zone defense.
Young connected with eight of the nine players who received at least one target from him. He was 0-of-3 to wideout Terrace Marshall, who didn’t play against the Detroit Lions last week.
Grade: B+
Young’s accuracy/decision-making grade
With the Panthers leaning on the run game in the first half — seemingly more than before under head coach Frank Reich — Young was able to find a comfort in the pocket. The offensive line gave him consistent time early on, and Young was able to execute with efficient accuracy to begin the matchup.
Young connected on six of his first seven throws for 82 yards and a touchdown. Young put the ball in the right spot early on, allowing his receivers to make plays after the catch for extra yards and first-down conversions. Those plays allowed the offense find a balance and an early 14-0 lead against the high-powered Dolphins.
Miami came storming back with two explosive touchdowns drives and quickly tied the game in the second quarter. As the Dolphins closed the first-half gap, the Panthers’ offense lost steam, which forced the ball back in the hands of Tua Tagovailoa and the Miami offense.
After the Dolphins took a 21-14 lead late in the second quarter, Young kept going back Thielen for consistent connections. Young, on the final drive of the first half, hit Thielen three consecutive times for 39 yards. That connection ultimately set up a 43-yard field goal attempt — which missed wide right — to end the second quarter.
Playing from behind in a two-score game didn’t help Young or the offense in the second half. The Panthers’ two third-quarter possessions ended in a punt and turnover on downs. Despite completing 66.6% of his passes through three quarters, Young was unable to push the Panthers back into the game, though the lack of the success wasn’t completely his fault.
The offensive line eventually faltered as the Panthers moved away from the run game in a second-half blowout, which caused Young to drop back regularly. Down by three scores, Carolina’s only option was to pass late in the game.
Beyond Thielen, Young failed to find options, outside of the occasional outlet pass
Grade: B
Young’s mobility grade
Young was largely stationary against the Dolphins. Despite some elusiveness within the pocket, he didn’t run outside of the pocket at all. He was also sacked four times for a loss of 36 yards.
Young’s unwillingness to run for yardage and maneuver in the pocket is hard to understand after he moved so well during his previous outings. Perhaps the lack of mobility was part of the game plan, but this category left a lot to be desired in an otherwise strong showing.
Grade: C-
Young’s turnover grade
Young protected the ball well, despite playing from behind for the final six drives of the game. He didn’t really put the ball in harm’s way. He also didn’t turn the ball over at all on sacks, avoiding costly turnovers.
Grade: A
Young’s overall grade
Young wasn’t perfect, but he did everything in his power to set the Panthers up for success in the first half. Eventually, the Dolphins woke up on offense and blazed past the Panthers’ broken defense. Carolina isn’t built to play from behind with its lack of weapons and regular explosive plays, and predictably, things fell apart around Young in the second half.
Still, the first half was an impressive sight for the rookie quarterback. He flashed quick decision-making, trust in his receivers and sound vision. If he can continue to make progress as a decision-maker, the Panthers will be able to put together some wins after the bye week. Young’s accuracy is there, he just needs his weapons — outside of Thielen — to deliver when he throws them the ball.
OVERALL GRADE: B
This story was originally published October 15, 2023 at 4:24 PM.
