In his first start, Carolina Panthers rookie quarterback Bryce Young struggled to get into a rhythm. Young was on the field for three drives and completed four of six passes for 21 yards.
While Young faced pressure throughout the game, he didn’t shy away from partaking in some of the blame for the poor offensive performance.
“Lack of execution – start with myself,” Young said. “There are things I definitely could have done better. Us as a unit, we all take accountability, and we all look in the mirror first.”
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Bryce Young Preseason Week 1 Passing Film Breakdown
Drive One (19 Yards)
Bryce Young’s first pass on 2nd-and-8 resulted in a first down, but Young took a shot from New York Jets defensive lineman Solomon Thomas. While under duress, Young stayed composed with perfect footwork and didn’t rush his throw to Adam Theilen. Theilen was the correct read, as he was Young’s second progression.
Bryce Young completes his first NFL pass to Adam Thielen but takes a shot by Solomon Thomas. Got right up for the next play. Welcome to the league. #KeepPounding pic.twitter.com/49tWEZAMcd
— CLTure® ( culture ) (@CLTure) August 12, 2023
On the next play, Young threw a quick pass to DJ Chark as he kept the ball out of harm’s way. While in the pocket, Young looked off the defender before throwing in Chark’s direction. Young also avoided the ball being batted at the line with a Jets defender rising up during the throw.
After a false start and short run, the Panthers had to convert on 3rd-and-6. Young threw again to Chark as he was Young’s first progression, but the ball was thrown early and toward the sideline. Young displayed his quick throwing motion while avoiding a strip sack from Bryce Huff but also was drilled after the play by Jermaine Johnson. The pressure Young faced rushed the throw as Chark tried to separate from his defender for a potential deep completion.
Drive Two (5 Yards)
Young’s second drive was destined to fail as the Panthers began on the two-yard line. After a two-yard rush from Chuba Hubbard, the Panthers finished the drive with two consecutive passes. On 2nd-and-8, Young took the check-down pass to Hubbard as he read the linebacker coverage on Laviska Shenault.
On 3rd-and-5, Bryce Young looked again at Shenault as he quickly threw his way, but Shenault overran his route. Before Young threw his pass, he hesitated for a second as he began to go into his throwing motion.
Drive Three (-3 Yards)
On his final drive, Bryce Young began by passing on 1st-and-10 to Hayden Hurst. Hurst was the safest option as if Young had more time; he had Jonathan Mingo open for an extra five yards. The pocket collapsed quickly as Michael Jordan defended a stunt from the Jets defensive line. Even with the pocket collapsing, Young kept calm feet to throw an accurate pass.
After a short Hubbard run, on 3rd-and-4, Young ended his final drive with a sack. There was nowhere to go as the Jets forced a quick coverage sack. If Young was given more time, Mingo did become open in the flat for a first down. Initially, Young looked at Shi Smith, but with a linebacker covering nearby, he tried looking elsewhere. Once again, Young was under duress quickly and began to scramble, but he was forced to take the sack.
Film Takeaways
It’s clear that the offensive line plagued Bryce Young’s passing throughout his first preseason game. With that, he had to take available check-downs instead of working through progressions. On a positive note, besides a couple of rushed throws due to pressure, Young’s mechanics were impressive for a rookie quarterback. His footwork and calmness while under duress showed why he’s the most polished rookie quarterback coming into the NFL. Going into his second game, a cleaner pocket is expected so that Young can put together longer, more sustained drives.
Main Photo: Jim Dedmon-USA TODAY Sports
