3x Pro Bowler warns Cowboys of Bryce Young ahead of Panthers clash - "He looks like damn little mini Patrick Mahomes"
Bryce Young has taken the NFL by storm over the past few weeks. The Carolina Panthers quarterback, the first overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, has made a U-Turn and has reignited his career after a stint on the bench in 2024, playing at a high-level.
His improvement hasn't translated into many wins, but that's not his fault. In Week 14, rookie wide receiver Xavier Legette dropped a game-winning touchdown against the Philadelphia Eagles, but the pass by Young was perfect. With a better team around him, the Panthers could become an interesting team soon.
His recent level has been noted by many people around the league. In a recent appearance on a Panthers podcast, former NFL offensive lineman Kyle Long highlighted how the Dallas Cowboys can't get complacent when defending Young, even comparing him to the league's best quarterback:
[You] can't let Bryce Young get hot, because when he gets hot, he looks confident. When he looks confident, he looks like a damn little mini Patrick Mahomes out there. The guy [is] just making plays all the time. You can't allow that to happen. I think the confidence is the big reason why we've seen Carolina playing well as of late, being competitive with some really good football teams. You can't allow that to happen.
With a 3-10 record, the Panthers aren't officially eliminated from playoff contention because they can still get the NFC South title, but it's extremely unlikely, as the Tampa Bay Buccaneers are 7-6 with four weeks to go. The Cowboys are 5-8 and their playoff hopes will also be dashed with a loss.
Bryce Young's stats in the 2024 season
The Carolina Panthers quarterback has improved in many stats, and his confidence has surely grown. Under Dave Canales' leadership, he has been more confident in the pocket, throwing better on the run and has equaled his number of wins from 2023.
He has 1,572 passing yards, seven touchdowns and a 59.0% completion percentage. These are hardly stellar numbers, but he has had at least five games with over 170 passing yards, a mark he hadn't cleared before his benching.