Falcons Preparing for 'Hell of a Player' in Panthers QB Bryce Young
The start of the NFL season brings plenty of unknowns, be it the un-scouted looks from opponents or new faces in new places.
For the Atlanta Falcons, Sunday's opener brings both, as the Carolina Panthers will enter Mercedes-Benz Stadium with a new coach in Frank Reich and quarterback in No. 1 overall pick Bryce Young.
As such, the Panthers team that takes the field at 1 p.m. will differ largely from the one that split two games with the Falcons last season - though the same is true in Atlanta, where a deep free agency class and talented rookie group has led to heightened expectations.
Among many storylines, one of the more intriguing is the chess match set to take place between Reich and new Falcons defensive coordinator Ryan Nielsen, who will be calling his first regular season game.
At the forefront of this matchup is Young, who's making his professional debut at the same venue in which he made his first college start at the University of Alabama.
Naturally, the Falcons don't have much film on Young or the new-look Panthers offense. Arthur Smith, Atlanta's third-year coach, noted how vague preseason play-calling often is, though he singled out the volume of jet sweeps Carolina ran and said he believes it'll be incorporated Sunday.
So, how do teams prepare for the unknown? For 27-year NFL veteran Jerry Gray, the Falcons' assistant head coach/defense, the process begins with a long look at the opposing coach - Reich - and diving into his past trends.
"I’m old enough to know that if you go back and take a look and see what they’ve done there, they’re pretty much going to do the same thing," Gray said.
And so, Atlanta has a good idea what Reich wants to run - but how will Young factor into it?
The 2021 Heisman Trophy winner and All-American honoree arrived in Tuscaloosa, Ala., with a five-star reputation and more than delivered on the promise.
Throughout the pre-draft process, the biggest knock on Young was his size, as he stands only 5-10, 204 pounds. Many cited the track record of professional production for smaller quarterbacks being less than stellar.
But the Falcons aren't looking into that. Not for a second. They know what Young's done during his football career and are expecting a big challenge regardless of pro experience.
Just ask Falcons cornerback Mike Hughes, who reiterated Gray's point about looking at scheme for preparation and was highly complimentary of what Young brings to the table.
"We know he's a hell of a player," Hughes said. "He can make all the throws (and) he can hurt you with his legs as well."
There's also the element that Atlanta is well aware the lights won't be too bright for Young, who started 27 games across two years for the Crimson Tide, including the National Championship game against the University of Georgia to cap off the 2021 season.
Both Smith and Gray mentioned that Young thrived under pressure at Alabama, handling lofty expectations from both an individual and team perspective, with titles being the standard in Tuscaloosa.
Playing in the SEC, Young frequently saw nuanced coverage looks, but Gray noted the professional packages that Nielsen will throw his way could lead to a few inaccurate reads.
“Coverages and stuff like that may trick him a bit," Gray said. "But other than that, he’s been through the pressure cooker. When you look at him, he’s a calm guy. He always has the same demeanor. It doesn’t matter is he’s in college or getting hit at the (New York) Jets game, he comes right back the next play.
"You see a confident quarterback. You see a really good quarterback and a guy who actually played at a high level.”
The Falcons are also cognizant of the room around Young only elevating his play at the sport's highest level.
Smith mentioned several players, including right tackle Taylor Moton, receiver Adam Thielen and the entire tight ends room, along with the coaching staff headlined by Reich and quarterbacks coach Josh McCown as bringing positive leadership presences to help accelerate his growth.
During the preseason, Young completed 14 of 24 passes for 129 yards and a touchdown while battling inconsistent offensive line play.
Sure, the concepts were "basic," in Smith's words, but the Falcons know what Young brings to the table. From their extensive work on his college film, which Gray noted he watched while evaluating defensive backs for the draft, and glimpses of exhibition work, the book on Young is growing.
Better yet, Atlanta has an invaluable resource in its locker room - rookie safety DeMarcco Hellams, Alabama's leading tackler a season ago and three-year teammate of Young.
The Falcons have relied on Hellams throughout this week of preparation, focusing more on how Young handles things mentally rather physically.
Gray acknowledged that Young can throw the entire route tree - but what really matters to he, Nielsen and the rest of the defensive staff is the way Young is wired and the manner in which he responds to adversity.
"Anytime you have a reference of a guy who’s actually been in the seats, been there, listened to what they preached, what they tell them – he may not have been in the offensive meetings, but he understands what he’s about, how he communicates, what his whole demeanor is during practice,” Gray said.
"We could watch film and see that he can throw the football ... but we can’t see what his demeanors are. And that’s the thing we kind of get information [on] from our players.”
Thus, the Falcons believe they have a solid knowledge base on what to expect from Reich's offense with Young under center. Smith pointed out the drop-back passing game as something he's sure Atlanta will see in bunches.
That said, there will still be plenty of adaptation come kickoff, with new looks dominating the headlines and forcing both sides to alter their plans in-game.
"I'm pretty sure there are some things that we haven't seen that we will see, and we'll have to adjust on the fly," Hughes said. "And that's with every quarterback, but specifically for him, we don't have a lot of (professional) tape on him. But we know he's a hell of a player, so we'll be ready to play."
The consensus coming from Atlanta's locker room this week has been the respect both players and coaches have for the 22-year-old Young.
There's no doubt he can play, and he's starred several times inside Mercedes-Benz Stadium while playing at Alabama ... but he's still full of inexperience, and history says the odds aren't in his favor.
The last rookie quarterback selection No. 1 overall to win on debut was the Houston Texans' David Carr in 2002. The past eight have a record of 0-7-1, per ESPN.
But like with Young's size, the Falcons aren't really paying attention to any outside narratives. They know Young can play football at a high level.
Perhaps most importantly, despite having the fourth-youngest team in the league, Atlanta boasts a number of veteran-savvy coaches and players who are all too familiar with the common phrase 'any given Sunday,' implying to expect the unexpected.
And really, nothing sums up Week 1 better than that - expect one thing, but brace for new looks, new utilizations and new players in key places.
The Falcons don't entirely know how Young's debut will go or whether the Panthers' offensive line will hold up around him ... but they're prepared for everything, and more than ready to adjust should the opportunity arise, with all parties expecting the unexpected.
“It doesn’t matter how many years you have in the NFL, anyone can beat you here at any given time," Gray said. "We got to go out there and prepare as if we’re going against a top quarterback, which we know he is.”
