Bryce Young fails to take advantage of golden opportunity against depleted Cowboys de

Everything had built up to today for Bryce Young and the Carolina Panthers. Five straight impressive performances, albeit most of them losses, had fans and folks around the franchise believing that things were finally, mercifully, after four years of rebuilding, moving in the right direction. And then the game kicked off, Young ran for his life four four quarters, turned the ball over four times, and walked off the field with questions about his future swirling yet again.

Bryce Young spent three and a half hours looking like the overmatched, undersized quarterback that was sat on the bench after week two. Dallas’ decimated defensive front dominated the Panthers hulking offensive line for four quarters, beating them like a drum nearly every time they dropped back to pass. Carolina’s defense couldn’t get a stop, forcing the offense to throw the ball in their comeback pursuits, allowing the Cowboys’ pass rush to pin their ears back, creating a familiar game script that plagued the Panthers for most of Young’s NFL career.

For all of Young’s improvements, of which there have been many, his fatal flaws reared their ugly heads on Sunday afternoon in Charlotte.

Bryce Young relapsed on Sunday as he succumbed to Micah Parsons and company’s relentless pressure. The poised, unflappable quarterback that we watched navigate muddled pockets since his return to the lineup was gone. Back was the daunted signal caller that turned bad plays into disasters with untimely turnovers that zapped the little momentum his offense could muster from down to down.

Like always, this loss isn’t solely on Bryce Young. His defense, running game, and pass protection were equally punchless, forcing the resurgent quarterback to shoulder a load that his svelte frame was unable to carry.

Dave Canales preaches the idea of complementary football. Sunday was, well, whatever the complete opposite of complementary football is.

Bryce Young isn’t going to lose his job, nor should he. Even in the midst of a nightmarish performance from the team as a whole, at time, Young flashed his number one overall pick worthy talent. An 83-yard touchdown pass to Jalen Coker came on an inch-perfect bomb that Young placed softly into his outstretched arms, and a late-game rushing touchdown was an off-script play that he couldn’t, or, wouldn’t, make in previous starts.

Carolina’s future should still revolve around the right arm of Bryce Young. He deserves at least one more season as the Panthers’ quarterback with a roster built around him. Dan Morgan and Dave Canales has proven their eye for talent is keen, and a treasure trove filled with free agent spending power and draft capital should allow them to accrue talent on the margins to plug some holes in Carolina’s leaky roster.

However, it’s jarring to know that days like this are still possible for Bryce Young.

In his first career game as a betting favorite in front of a raucous home crowd ready to explode at any moment, Young and his teammates laid an ostrich-sized egg and sent those paying fans home disappointed. Like they have many a time this decade.

The book on Young’s career is far from written, but today’s performance was set to put an exclamation point on it’s rising action, stamping a bright future for the ascendant quarterback and franchise that can bully the league’s also rans. It wasn’t that. It was far from it. And it was everything that the much maligned quarterback did not need as he continues to rehabilitate his career that was once on life support.

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