Bryce Young, Dave Canales break down 'baller mode' for improvised plays

When things go awry, Bryce Young and Dave Canales have a plan.

Dec 1, 2024; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) directs the wide recievers while scrabling in the second quarter at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-Imagn Images / Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

When the play breaks down for the Carolina Panthers, things are far from over. Earlier in his career, if things went awry, Bryce Young couldn't always capitalize or make something out of nothing. That was a particularly damning flaw of his since it was his biggest strength in college. Through time and preparation, though, it's now a strength once more.

When the protection breaks down or nothing is open, the Panthers enter "baller mode," which is where Young has excelled lately. It may seem like a singular thing in the heat of the moment, but it's something Young and head coach Dave Canales have worked to perfect.

Dave Canales, Bryce Young discuss improvisation with 'baller mode'

Bryce Young's ability to make plays out of structure has been on full display since he returned from the bench. The Panthers call it "baller mode" and Young said via the Panthers' website, "Yeah, that's definitely a term we use. That's something that coach (Dave) Canales talks about a lot, we talk a lot about in our room. So yeah, that's part of the plan."

It happens when the internal clock hits 2.7 seconds, which is usually when the play starts to break down. If no one's open for that long, something has to change. If protection holds up that long, sometimes the offense is fortunate. At that point, Young knows he can and should go out and make a play.

Dave Canales said "It's confidence, and it's decisiveness, it's knowing what the concept is, getting a preview of what's happening from a coverage standpoint and then making quick decisions. And if you can play on time, throw to the first open guy and then progress quickly, get to your scrambles once you're above that 2.7, as Will Harriger says, you activate the second play, baller mode. Here we go. And, you know, he's getting to those things, and he's winning the down and finding ways to win."

Canales said this has been his message to all quarterbacks he's worked with. Notably, that includes Russell Wilson and he was involved in the revitalization of former busts Baker Mayfield and Geno Smith. Now, he's using the off-platform planning to help Young shed that very same label.

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