The Carolina Panthers won their second game of the season Sunday, defeating the New Orleans Saints 23-22 in an NFC South Divisional matchup. The win was keyed by the play of quarterback Bryce Young, the 2023 NFL Draft first overall pick. Young led the game-winning drive, which was capped off by running back Chuba Hubbard's 16-yard touchdown run late in the fourth quarter. The former Alabama Crimson Tide signal caller certainly received his flowers from multiple NFL experts on X, formerly Twitter.
"Gritty win for the #Panthers and Bryce Young, who has been much improved since his return to the lineup," posted NFL Network's Tom Pelissaro on the social media site. "Meanwhile, the #Saints started 2-0 and since have lost seven in a row."
Young posted a rating of 77.6 in the contest, a decent mark in which he completed 16 of 26 passes for 171 yards. He also threw for a touchdown and interception. Not the greatest of stat lines, but it resulted in a win. That's something both Young and head coach Dave Canales will take. Especially as the young signal caller looks to rehab his short NFL tenure thus far. Can the Panthers continue their winning ways next week against the New York Giants? It is certainly a stronger possibility than it was before today.
Could Bryce Young reclaim number one quarterback role with Panthers?
The "home" game against the Giants next week isn't in Charlotte. It's in Munich, Germany. So, in addition to most of the usual home and away game standards that the Panthers will have to adhrere to, they will also have to factor in the extended travel and international spotlight. This might be the reason why Canales still has not committed to Young as the starter versus New York next Sunday.
It wasn't a perfect win for Young and the Panthers, but it was still a win. They are now third in the NFC South, holding an advantage over the Saints. The visitors have now lost seven in a row after starting 2-0 this season, and the pressure is certainly climbing behind their head coach, Dennis Allen.
There have also been whispers about Canales possibly not making it through his first year as head coach in Charlotte, either. Sunday's win likely helps with those rumors. Would a win 0ver the Giants, another lower-tier NFC squad, on an international stage help? If Young is at the helm of such a victory, his relationship with his latest head coach might become stronger than ever.