Panthers Frank Reich promises 'this is just the beginning' after first win of the season
It almost didn't happen, save for a final drive from rookie quarterback Bryce Young, but Carolina Panthers head coach Frank Reich claimed the first win of his coaching tenure with the team. In the 15-13 victory, Young led a six-minute drive that bled enough clock, converting on a critical fourth down at midfield to set […]
It almost didn't happen, save for a final drive from rookie quarterback Bryce Young, but Carolina Panthers head coach Frank Reich claimed the first win of his coaching tenure with the team.
In the 15-13 victory, Young led a six-minute drive that bled enough clock, converting on a critical fourth down at midfield to set up Panthers kicker Eddy Pineiro to knock in the game-winning field goal. Following the win, a joyous Reich promised that this win was just one of many.
“It’s very satisfying,” Reich said. “I mean, for the guys, for our team, for all of us. I think we were all walking off there feeling like, okay, now, we’re gonna get going. This is one. We know we got a long way to go. We’ll certainly enjoy this and celebrate it. But this is just the beginning."
Panthers ownership surely hopes it is just the beginning. Currently, Carolina sits at 1-6. They are 1-2 at home. But in recent weeks, the Panthers have looked far more competitive than at the start of the season.
Some of the improvement can be chalked up to Young feeling more comfortable in Reich's offense. The coaching staff has simplified the plays and allowed offensive coordinator Thomas Brown to call them — choosing to embrace the less is more philosophy. And it has worked.
Young threw for 235 yards on 22 completions. He walked away from the game with the highest passer rating of his short career (103.6), and he also threw one touchdown. It was a game no one could be mad at.
Next up, the Panthers have a bout with the Indianapolis Colts, who are without their rookie quarterback. Anthony Richardson underwent shoulder surgery that will cost him the rest of his rookie year. But to the Panthers' chagrin, that makes Indapolis more vulnerable.
Reich wants to build off his team's performance. That starts with bottling up the effort the defense played with, holding the Houston Texans to 13 points, and continuing to sow confidence into the rookie. The good news is Reich believes what the Panthers accomplished in a wire-to-wire Week 8 win can be done again come Week 9.
"We’ve tried to set a really high standard for ourselves with the way we prepare," Reich said. "I think we’ve been learning how to do that as the year progressed, and there’s no turning back. We know every week in this league, it’s a battle. But all we have to do is prove that we’re the best team on the field that particular day.”
At least for one Sunday, the Panthers finally did so.
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