Bryce Young #9 of the Carolina Panthers huddles with teammates (Photo by Emilee Chinn/Getty Images)
Ron Rivera has noticed the difference in Bryce Young's game as of late. The former Carolina Panthers head coach knows something about coaching great quarterbacks, having done so when Cam Newton won NFL MVP and led the Panthers to a Super Bowl appearance during the 2015 season.
The second-year Young may have had a hiccup of a game in the Panthers' 30-14 loss to the Dallas Cowboys in Week 15, but it doesn't detract from the increased "confidence" and quicker decision-making he's displayed since returning to the starting lineup in Week 8 after his benching earlier in the season.
"Absolutely," says Rivera in a one-on-one interview with RG on behalf of his partnership with USAA. "He's playing with confidence, I think he has a better feel, better handle for the offensive playbook. You see him going through his progression quickly. You see him getting the ball out of his hands."
Rivera hammers home how quick Young is getting the ball out of his hands and how he's taking less sacks. Entering Week 15, Young's sack rate was just 5.3% — one of the best marks in the NFL. He had one of the highest sack rates at 10.5% during his rookie year last season.
"One of the things that you see in Bryce is he's taking less sacks, he's getting the ball out of his hands quicker," says Rivera of the improvement in Young's game.
"His release time is below the league average right around 2.85 seconds. He's getting the ball out quicker, which is very beneficial, because when you get the ball out of your hands, you're not taking sacks. Those are positives as well. He hasn't been sacked as much as he has in the past either."
Growing Pains
The Panthers have gone 2-5 since Young took over as starting quarterback from veteran Andy Dalton. However, three of those losses have been by one possession against some of the NFL's best teams in the Kansas City Chiefs, Tampa Bay Buccaneers and Philadelphia Eagles.
Carolina had averaged 203 passing yards, 103 rushing yards and 20.5 points per game from Weeks 8 through 14 since Young's return. By comparison, they had averaged 102 passing yards, 74 rushing yards and 6.5 points per game during his first two starts of the season prior to his benching after Week 2.
"He went out there fighting to play very well and the guys are rallying behind him," says Rivera. "I also think Dave Canalas has learned how to handle him a little better. I think some of his play calling has gotten sharper. Their running game has really stepped up. There's been growth for the entire team around Bryce so far."
Young took over the starting job from Dalton after the veteran quarterback sprained his thumb in a car accident. Dalton had started five games for Carolina prior to the injury.
Rivera credits Young’s benching as the turning point in his play during his second season, after a disastrous rookie campaign that saw him post the league's lowest passer rating at 73.7.
Since returning to the starting lineup, Young has thrown eight touchdowns against six interceptions and has averaged 213 passing yards per game. By comparison, he threw zero touchdowns against three interceptions while averaging 123 passing yards per game during the first two games of the season.
"Kudos to Coach Canales for doing something as crazy as he did," says Rivera of Canales benching Young. "Kudos to Bryce Young for preparing yourself for the next opportunity and kudos to the team for rallying around him and being a part of this young man's growth as a football player. There's a lot of things, a lot of elements to something positive happening for that group of players in that organization."
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DJ Siddiqi
