Bryce Young and Offensive Struggles Continue as Panthers Fall to 0-2

The Panthers gave up what some may say is a king's ransom to move up to the number one pick in the draft this offseason—trading two first-round picks, two second-round picks, and their best Wide Receiver, D.J Moore. With that first overall pick, they selected Alabama Quarterback Bryce Young. Young is talented, but his slim frame was and is a cause for concern in the minds of many experts.

The offense under Young so far has struggled to get going. That is to be expected from a rookie playing what is debatably the most challenging position in the sport. Young has posted 266 yards passing on a 59% completion percentage, with two touchdowns and two interceptions in his two career starts. As previously stated, most of the "expert's" concerns were with his frame, not his ability. While I may have yet to be sold on their take, it does come into play when his offensive line pass protects like it has. On Monday, they allowed four sacks and seven total QB hits. The Falcons logged two sacks and eight QB hits on Young a week prior. He has taken a beating to start his career, which has to be a concern for the Carolina front office moving forward. The run game, however, has been successful for them so far, rushing for at least 100 yards in each of their games. A steady rushing attack will get them in manageable situations, leading to better numbers on third down. Currently, the Panthers rank seventh to last in third down conversion rate at just a tick above 32%, which is not where you want to be as an offense.

Defensively, the Panthers get after the Quarterback with the best of them. Logging eight sacks in two games puts them tied for third in the NFL. Stopping the run is a much different tale of the tape. Allowing an average of 132 yards a game on the ground puts them eighth highest in the league. Carolina has prevented the passing game from beating them often, only allowing two passing touchdowns as opposed to four on the ground. Unlike the offense, the defense has done a solid job getting off the field on third down. Ranking tenth in the league at 35%, if they can put together a better run defense, this group could be formidable.

Looking ahead to next week's matchup vs. Seattle, Carolina should look to take advantage of the worst third-down defense in the NFL. Bryce Young will look to get another start under his belt and continue to progress. Hopefully, his line does the same so the young QB can get a real chance to get his feet wet and sling the ball. Assuming the defense does not perform poorly, the Panthers could be poised to get their first W this Sunday.