Grading Bryce Young's pitiful season opening performance in New Orleans

Matt Alquiza | Sep 9, 2024

Sep 8, 2024; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) looks at the video boards against the New Orleans Saints during the first half at Caesars Superdome. / Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

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Carolina Panthers

Things were supposed to be different for Bryce Young and the Carolina Panthers in 2024.

The Carolina Panthers went out and hired noted quarterback guru Dave Canales to revive a decrepit offense. Canales and new general manager Dan Morgan built the league's most expensive offensive line to protect the second-year signal caller. Diontae Johnson and Xavier Legette were acquired to bring much needed juice to the wide receiver room.

Unfortunately for the Panthers, the flurry of offensive moves coalesced into an a massive bummer to open up the 2024 NFL season. At the center of Sunday's disaster was quarterback Bryce Young, who frankly looked worse than he ever did in his disappointing rookie season.

Young finished the game completing 13 of his 30 passes for 161 yards and two ugly interceptions while getting sacked four times. The sophomore quarterback continued to look nothing like the Heisman trophy winning, unanimous number one overall pick that was drafted to become the face of a franchise without an identity. From the opening snap, which was intercepted by the Saints defense, Young never looked settled.

The improved footwork that was lauded all offseason looked jittery. The superhuman accuracy that solidified his draft stock in 2023 was erratic. The off-script play-making ability that Dave Canales allowed Young the freedom to explore was left at the team hotel. To say that Young was bad would be an understatement. Color commentator Mark Schlereth called Young "an abject disaster" on the broadcast, and there is no arguing the three-time Super Bowl champion's analysis.

Young finally began showing flashes of his talent when the game was well out of hand. A third quarter scoring drive showed the best of what the Panthers quarterback has to offer. Back-to-back long completions to Xavier Legette and Jonathan Mingo set up the quarterbacks first career rushing touchdown on a scramble through the teeth of the defense.

1st rushing TD of Bryce's career

📺: Fox pic.twitter.com/UdS509tTIO
— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) September 8, 2024

Things were supposed to be different for Bryce Young in 2024, but all of the concerns that analysts and fans left last season with were still present. Maybe the biggest problem is that it still seems systemic. Young was the Panthers biggest problem on Sunday afternoon, but poor play-calling, sloppy penalties, loose ball-handling, and a leaky defense all contributed to the beat down in the Big Easy.

Bryce Young gets an F for his first start of 2024, but the problems for the Carolina Panthers run deep. They will tee it up again next Sunday when the Los Angeles Chargers come to town, but in front of how many fans? This disastrous opening to the season is likely a harbinger for things to come, and if it continues, we may be grading a different quarterback when the 2025 season kicks off next September.