Bryce Young takes accountability after 3 INT day: 'I have to be better'
Three interceptions isn't what Bryce Young drew up heading into Week 9 against the Indianapolis Colts. But it is what happened. And rubbing salt in the wound, Young's terrible day came as C.J. Stroud (the quarterback drafted right after Young) threw for five touchdowns in an instant classic against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Despite the […]
Three interceptions isn't what Bryce Young drew up heading into Week 9 against the Indianapolis Colts.
But it is what happened. And rubbing salt in the wound, Young's terrible day came as C.J. Stroud (the quarterback drafted right after Young) threw for five touchdowns in an instant classic against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
Despite the hard day at the office and a 27-13 loss for the Carolina Panthers, Young knows no one will feel bad for him. He has to play better. Excuses are starting to run thin.
"It is what it is," Young said after the game. "It’s a long season. You can’t carry any of that over. You got to take from it, watch the film. We’ll go over this stuff, learn from it, and correct it. And then, after that, it resets.
"I have to be better. But at the same time, no one’s gonna feel sorry for me. No one’s gonna feel sorry for us. I’ll learn from it, get better and we have to turn our attention to Chicago.”
Young's first interception came right before halftime. The play design was a screen pass to running back Miles Sanders. The pass sailed on Young and wound up in the hands of the Colts, who returned it for a touchdown.
The second interception was arguably more backbreaking than the first. After leading the Panthers on a 15-play, 77-yard drive to pull the game within 10 points at the time, Young, on the subsequent possession, appeared spooked and telegraphed a pass right to Kenny Moore II again. He, again, returned the interception to the endzone– effectively ending the game.
Young's last interception came when the game already felt over. But it was still emblematic of the type of day the rookie had.
After the game, Panthers head coach Frank Reich wasn't ready to abandon Young just yet. He said the thought of pulling the rookie never crossed his mind. And he also said that "every quarterback" has games like the one Young slogged through.
"I’ve seen this happen to the best quarterbacks in the history of the game,” Reich said after the game. “They all have games like this. But, you bounce back. That’s what makes the great ones. And it’s a long road."
Reich always said it would be a multi-year journey with Young. However, no one expected it to be this difficult through the first half of the No. 1 picks rookie season.
Rapid reaction: Bryce Young dooms Panthers in 27-13 loss to Indianapolis Colts
In an intriguing Week 9 matchup with the Indianapolis Colts, Bryce Young managed to dissipate any excitement before halftime and then again in the fourth quarter.
