Bryce Young on the Panthers' offensive dud against Saints: 'I got to do a lot better'
The Carolina Panthers offense could have put someone to sleep for a majority of the Week 2 matchup with the New Orleans Saints on Monday. Though the Panthers felt confident heading into the game, that didn't matter in a 20-17 loss to the Saints. The Panthers were held out of the endzone nearly the entire game, […]
The Carolina Panthers offense could have put someone to sleep for a majority of the Week 2 matchup with the New Orleans Saints on Monday.
Though the Panthers felt confident heading into the game, that didn't matter in a 20-17 loss to the Saints. The Panthers were held out of the endzone nearly the entire game, if not for a two-minute drill, where Young found Adam Thielen on a three-yard pass, and Thielen made a play to get into the endzone. It would mark the only touchdown of the night for a lackluster Panthers offense that, for a second week in a row, didn't push the ball downfield.
"We didn't do enough offensively," Young said. "That's on me. I got to do a lot better. As a unit, we got to do a better job. That starts with me."
Young — who threw for 153 yards on 22 completions and one touchdown — said many of the Panthers' offensive struggles weren't due to playcalling. Instead, the No. 1 overall pick chalked it up to a lack of execution.
"We just have to put it together," Young said. "I have tremendous faith in this team. We just have to go out there and prove that."
But what does execution look like?
To Young, it starts with intentionality.
"I need to be intentional throughout the week," he said. "Intentional with learning. Not just seeing something but learning. The great thing about the locker room is I am not the only one that takes accountability. We all feel like we could be better."
The Panthers' offense has to be better if the goal is to compete in a division that is quickly slipping away. After falling to 0-2 on the season against two NFC South foes, the hole the Panthers find themselves in, not even a month into the season, is a deep one.
Panthers head coach Frank Reich said the offense isn't as bad as it has looked thus far. He went as far as to suggest the Panthers could be a 30-point offense sooner than many expect.
"Right now, it is a lot of things," Reich said. "It is not the play calling, but it can be better."
He added: "We've seen this before. It's not that far away. We make a couple of plays here and there, and next thing you know, you have 28-30 points. I know we have the players and the coaches to do it — it's just that we have to execute better on offense."
For the offense to be better, it starts with Young, who can't be afraid to push the ball down the field and stretch defenses vertically. If there is any silver lining to the loss for the Panthers, it is that throwing the ball downfield is something the rookie quarterback knows he has to be better at in Week 3.
"You try to build on positive things, but it's not going to carry over for points on Sunday," Young said. "That's on me. Hitting throws that I missed. Obviously, I have to do a better job of that. It's on me. We are put in good places to execute. We have to do a better job. That starts with me."
It sure does.
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Feature image via Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports.
