What Bryce Young is doing better than any NFL quarterback since midseason

Bryce Young is doing something special lately.

Dec 22, 2024; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) takes the field against the the Arizona Cardinals during the first quarter at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images / Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Bryce Young's return from the bench has been nothing short of inspirational. He has looked like the quarterback the Carolina Panthers wanted first overall in the NFL Draft for the first time. The box scores aren't always pretty and they're not always indicative of a budding superstar, but the performances have been there.

Going beyond the box score and into the admittedly flawed but still useful PFF grades, a clearer picture of just how excellent Young has played begins to form. Since Week 9, one of PFF's biggest stats is led by none other than the Panthers QB.

Bryce Young leads the NFL in big-time throws since Week 9

Bryce Young took Week 8 against the ferocious secondary of the Denver Broncos to reacclimate to the NFL. Since then, he's been excellent. He is first in big-time throw percentage at 7.6%. No other QB in the league is making these plays at the rate Young is.

Big-time throws are defined as "passes with excellent ball location and timing, generally thrown further down the field and/or into a tighter window." Young has done that better than anyone lately. Young doesn't throw the ball with tremendous frequency, but he makes huge throws when he does.

Additionally, over the last eight weeks as a starter, Young is fifth in passing grade when facing pressure. Only Sam Darnold, Joe Burrow, Josh Allen, and Justin Herbert are ahead. The Panthers star is also seventh in passing grade and eighth in offensive grade among all NFL QBs. During that time span, two-time MVP Patrick Mahomes doesn't lead Young in any of those metrics.

Young has suddenly become a burgeoning star in the NFL. His benching proved to be the catalyst for a potential future Pro Bowler. The box scores might not indicate that, but the advanced metrics certainly do.

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