There was a lot to be said about the game between the Carolina Panthers and the Houston Texans going into Sunday afternoon, especially the matchup between these two quarterbacks who were the number one and number two overall picks, respectively in the 2023 NFL Draft class. Houston entered as the favorite with C.J. Stroud playing some brilliant football, but it was Bryce Young who went home with the win.
It has been a rough year for Young who has played behind one of the worst offensive lines in the league and forced to throw to one of the thinnest receiving cores out there. There were floating questions about if Carolina made the right decision with the first overall pick, if Frank Reich should stick around, and if backup Andy Dalton should see time. All that noise has hushed with the massive win both narratively and in the standings for Carolina.
With veteran guard Austin Corbett returning from injury this Carolina offensive line proved to be much more stable in it’s protection of Young. While he did not light up the stat sheet, Young played well in a close low scoring contest. Young delivers 22 of 31 completions, 235 yards, and a single touchdown that was enough to put Carolina over the top.
I mean you can’t play QB any better than this drive to end the half from Bryce Young pic.twitter.com/em7ii8dkF1
— Primetime Carolina (@primetimecar) October 30, 2023
It must feel like a huge weight off the shoulders of Young, who will now face a very winnable next couple of games. If this offensive line can sustain its protection of the rookie and the receivers continue to develop, who knows what can happen in a wild NFC South?
Young continues to develop as the season progresses and is looking more and more like the right choice for the Carolina Panthers.