Major Panthers QB Report Emerges Ahead of Week 14
By Cem Yolbulan
The Carolina Panthers are in the midst of another season at the bottom of the NFC, sitting at 3-9 heading into the final five weeks of the campaign. However, things have started to look up in recent weeks as the Panthers won two of their last four games and lost the other two by a combined six points. Carolina looks much more competitive, and the offense is more explosive than they looked in recent years.
One of the biggest reasons for that is the resurgence of Bryce Young. After shockingly getting benched earlier in the year in favor of veteran Andy Dalton, the former No. 1 overall pick took over the starting job five weeks ago after Dalton suffered an injury. Since then, Young has been playing the best football of his young career. In that stretch, he has six touchdowns and only three interceptions.
According to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN, getting benched and watching Dalton from the sidelines played a huge role in this improvement.
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Fowler highlighted the areas of development Young demonstrated in recent weeks. According to members of the organization, Young has been more vocal and a better communicator in his second stint as a starter. Per sources within the team, Dalton deserves a lot of credit for this change.
"That's a big step, and one that Andy Dalton undoubtedly helped him find. Learning from Dalton, who started in place of Young for five games during Young's benching, was crucial for the second-year quarterback's development, sources said."
- Jeremy Fowler, ESPN
This recent stretch all but closes the door on Young losing the starting job for the foreseeable future. At the same time, it likely increases the likelihood of Dalton returning next season in a backup QB and mentor role. If it's going to continue to have this kind of an impact on Young, the Panthers will gladly re-sign the 37-year-old in the offseason.