Carolina Panthers worst fears imagined after Bryce Young's tricky performance

Carolina Panthers second-year quarterback Bryce Young is off to yet another rocky start to an NFL season .

Young won just two games in his first 17 NFL starts despite being the No. 1 overall pick of the 2023 NFL Draft. His last outing as Carolina's franchise QB saw his first pass intercepted against the New Orleans Saints . He attempted a deep ball down the middle of the field on the first down, intended for Diontae Johnson.

Will Harris intercepted the inaccurate pass and returned it to the opposing 40-yard line. The turnover set up a successful field goal attempt for the Saints, who took an early 10-0 lead in just five minutes of play. The Panther's next two drives resulted in punts, followed by a fumble by Jonathan Mingo, where the Saints capitalized on the mistake again with points. They kicked a goal goal for a 23-0 lead, with the game's fate all but sealed.

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After punting on the following drive, Young completed five passes with 10 yards to finally get the Panthers on the board with a field goal. But his second interception would come immediately after trying to connect with Adam Thielen on yet another deep ball.

Young ended the game with a completion rate of just 43.3 percent, including 161 yards. His passer rating of 32.8 and a QBR of 10.5 were among the worst quarterbacks in Week 1, leaving fans and analysts online questioning whether he was ready to be a franchise quarterback.

Ex- Washington Commanders head coach Jay Gruden gave his analysis of the performance and didn't hold back on the former No. 1 pick. "My problem with Bryce is that he looks small, he plays small, his arm talent does not show up on tape, and his decision-making hasn't been great," said Gruden.

Gruden continued highlighting the lack of a passing-catching tight-end presence, which hurts Young's on-field development. "He's not a good enough quarterback to create independently and carry a team. I have not seen anything that warrants him being a starting quarterback in the NFL ."

Pro Football Focus ranks the Panther's offensive line, defensive line, and pass catchers as the 20th out of 32 teams in the league. The group's passing duo of Johnson and Xavier Legette combined for just 54 yards.

Even Young admitted to the poor performance after the game when speaking to the media. He said, "For me, looking in the mirror first, we all have that mindset of wanting to be better. You look at plays that could be executed better. You have to learn from them," he said.

The fan base's frustration with the Alabama product increases as Rookie of the Year C.J. Stroud 's career evolves. Carolina chose Young over Stroud, Colts starter Anthony Richardson , and Titans gunslinger Will Levis.

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