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After\u00a0another offensive meltdown, Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young\u2019s calm demeanor was gone.\u00a0He was found out by the New Orleans Saints, who knew he\u00a0didn’t have the tools to beat them\u00a0without a strong rushing attack.<\/p>\n
They were right, and the criticism has come in spades for Young over recent days.<\/p>\n
Rookie first-round wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan said Young addressed the team after the game, and the message wasn\u2019t sugarcoated.<\/p>\n
\u201cHe addressed the team,\u201d\u00a0McMillan said. \u201cI feel like he was probably one of those guys that came out of the game with the most fire in his eyes. He was disappointed himself in the way he played and the way the team played, and he addressed that and he let the team know how he felt, and, you know, it\u2019s just contagious.\u201d<\/p>\n
That\u2019s not the typical version of Young that his teammates usually see. The No. 1 overall pick in 2023 has prided himself on composure. But this time, he couldn\u2019t hide the frustration of\u00a0another stagnant showing: just 124 passing yards, one completion longer than 15 yards, and a passing attack that never threatened New Orleans\u2019 defense.<\/p>\n
Head coach Dave Canales didn\u2019t point the finger at Young, calling the\u00a0lack of explosive plays a collective problem. The Saints sold out to stop Rico Dowdle and the run game, stacking defenders at the line of scrimmage, daring the Panthers to throw over the top, and Carolina couldn\u2019t do it.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn general, I think it\u2019s a group effort,\u201d Canales said. \u201cCalling more of them, yes, let\u2019s get some more opportunities. We would love to have those explosive plays come alive. But we have to keep working together. We\u2019ve got to make the most of those opportunities when we have them, so that we are a balanced offense.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Panthers finished with just 4.4 yards per pass attempt, continuing a season-long struggle to generate big plays. Through nine games, Young is averaging 5.6 yards per attempt, down a full yard from the second half of last year.<\/p>\n
For McMillan, seeing Young show emotion wasn\u2019t a concern; it was a rallying point. And with Canales\u2019 group reevaluating everything \u2014 even down to whether their\u00a0Victory Monday<\/em>\u00a0last week was a mistake \u2014Carolina\u2019s leaders seem to be embracing\u00a0a tougher tone.<\/p>\n It\u2019s easy to dismiss postgame emotion after a loss. But for a young quarterback still carving out his identity, this frustration looked like that of someone passionate and ready to take the next step.<\/p>\n Young\u2019s teammates saw\u00a0a leader demanding more\u00a0from himself and everyone else. Whether that fire turns into progress or more smoke will depend on how Carolina responds this weekend against the Atlanta Falcons on the road.<\/p>\n For now, McMillan\u2019s words say it best: the fire was there, and it was contagious.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019ve got to be better, plain and simple. There\u2019s no excuse for where we are right now. We need to hold ourselves accountable and make the necessary changes, because this isn\u2019t acceptable.\u201d<\/p>\n\n