After entering their Week 10 matchup as heavy favorites, the Carolina Panthers were upset by divisional rivals New Orleans Saints in a 17-7 loss on Sunday.
Fresh off a big win against the Green Bay Packers in Week 9, they looked like clear favorites to win this game against one of the worst teams in the league. Bryce Young couldn’t take his team to the promised land after a tumultuous afternoon.
The third-year quarterback went 17 of 25 for 124 yards and zero touchdowns against one interception. Running back Rico Dowdle scored the Panthers’ only touchdown.
On the other side, Tyler Shough went 19 of 27 for 282 yards and two touchdowns against two sacks. New Orleans showed that it has a lot of potential on the roster amid a rocky campaign.
Analyst says Bryce Young is the Panthers’ biggest issue
Ahead of this duel, Bleacher Report’s Brent Sobleski rejected the notion that Young is the answer to the Panthers’ questions, noting that not having a real franchise quarterback is hurting their plans.
“At 5-4 entering Week 10, the Panthers were one of the NFL’s more surprising teams this year,” Sobleski wrote. “However, after watching their offense sputter most of the afternoon in a loss to the hapless Saints, something has become evident: The Panthers were winning in spite of Bryce Young, not because of him. He isn’t the long-term answer under center in Carolina. The 2023 first overall pick completed 68 percent of his passes Sunday, but for a paltry 125 yards with an interception. It was the fifth time in 10 games that he has failed to eclipse 150 passing yards.”
Carolina is 5-5 after the Saints game. Young has shown that he can bounce back from bad performances, but fans have yet to see him elevate his and his team’s game consistently.