Dave Canales finally said out loud what Panthers fans could see on Thursday night: Bryce Young’s knee is taking something away from his game. After Carolina’s 27-19 loss to the Packers at Lambeau Field, Canales acknowledged the injury may be limiting Young’s mobility and his ability to extend plays, as first reported by ClutchPoints via The Athletic’s Joe Person.
The box score backs it up. Young went 23-of-41 for 209 yards with one touchdown and one interception, and he was sacked six times. Through seven starts he has 1,921 passing yards and 13 touchdowns, but Carolina has now dropped two straight after a 3-2 start and sits at 3-4.
The IAHHM Take
Young was never a statue. A big part of what makes him work behind a leaky line is the ability to slide, reset and buy one more second. Take that away and six sacks is what you get. That’s why this admission matters more than a normal injury update.
The defense has its own problems. Carolina went into Green Bay without cornerbacks Jaycee Horn, Mike Jackson and Akayleb Evans, and Will Lee III left with a hamstring injury, per ClutchPoints. Canales sent trade questions to GM Dan Morgan and said practice-squad corner Corey Thornton will get a shot “real soon.” We broke down how thin that room already was in our Marco Wilson call-up story.
The good news: Carolina gets 10 days before its next game. That mini-bye is the best medicine this team is going to get. If Young comes back moving like himself, 3-4 is still a live record in a season like this. If he doesn’t, the Panthers have to decide how hard to protect their franchise QB from himself.
So, Carolina fans: do you sit Bryce until the knee is right, or ride with him through it?
Source: ClutchPoints
