Following the last game of their 2024 campaign, Carolina Panthers head coach Dave Canales made one heck of a statement about Bryce Young—firmly minting the second-year passer as his team’s quarterback. And now, a little over 10 months later, he’s done it again.
Just like in that thrilling regular-season finale, Young picked apart the Atlanta Falcons at Mercedes-Benz Stadium. He completed 31 of his 45 passes for a career-high and franchise-record 448 yards and three touchdowns in a 30-27 overtime win.
The walk-off victory, punctuated by a 28-yard field goal from rookie kicker Ryan Fitzgerald, saw Young fight through a nagging ankle injury and a 14-point deficit. Nonetheless, the former No. 1 overall pick powered through—leading his Panthers to their sixth win of the year.
Canales was asked what he thought of Young’s performance after the triumph.
“To me, it’s just my expectation for Bryce—to take every game plan and every opportunity and attack it. And he’s been doing that,” Canales replied. “Today was a day about the whole group. It was about all the guys, the time on task, the side conversations in practices, working together in between drives and really just making it come alive—and finding the completions where they were and extending the play when he needed to.
“And I’m just proud of the way that he just pushed through for his teammates. It just speaks volumes to the type of leader that he’s continuing to grow into—and to be able to be available for his guys and find a bunch of different guys in different situations.”
Young found nine different pass catchers on Sunday. No single connection, however, may have been as important as the one to tight end Tommy Tremble—who picked up 54 yards on Carolina’s second offensive play in overtime to help set up the game-winning field goal.
Canales told reporters that the clutch gain was also an effect of an all-around effort.
“That’s Bryce’s last progression on the play,” he stated. “He evaluated it and he got through his progressions. We gotta give the offensive line credit for allowing him to take the second hitch and find Tommy late. And Tommy just secured the ball and took off.”
Young has now recorded 10 game-winning drives over his 12 career NFL victories.
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This article originally appeared on Panthers Wire: Panthers HC Dave Canales speaks on QB Bryce Young’s Week 11 heroics
