Dave Canales Reveals Reason Panthers Are Sticking With Bryce Young at QB

The Panthers are sticking with Bryce Young for the final stretch of the season.
Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images
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Just when things were starting to look up for the Carolina Panthers in recent weeks, it all came crashing down in Week 15. In the first game the Panthers were favored in all season, they suffered a desultory loss at home against the Dallas Cowboys. After encouraging performances against the Eagles, Bucs, and the Chiefs in their previous three games, the Panthers went back to making mistakes that cost them the game.

The biggest culprit on Sunday was Bryce Young. The former No. 1 overall pick was on an upward trajectory in the second half of the season but had a deeply disappointing outing against the Cowboys defense. He threw two interceptions, had two fumbles, and was sacked a season-high six times.

Despite his struggles, Young got a stamp of approval from head coach Dave Canales. Speaking to the press on Monday, Canales said they are sticking with Young at QB because they are impressed with his confidence and decision-making.

Panthers News: Dave Canales Gives Bryce Young Vote of Confidence

The confidence was evident at the end of the second quarter when Young had the longest pass of his career on an 83-yard touchdown to Jalen Coker.

Other than that, however, it was a performance to forget. After moving into the red zone on the opening drive, Young had a costly fumble that was recovered by the Cowboys. That set the stage for the rest of the game. The Panthers finished with 235 total yards of offense, averaging 4.7 yards per play.

Considering that the alternative to Young is the 37-year-old Andy Dalton, this is certainly the right move. With three games left in the season, the Panthers need to give Young as many reps as they can to properly evaluate him and the offense. Carolina doesn't need to prioritize winning in the final stretch of the season so keeping Young under center makes a ton of sense for the time being.

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