QB Bryce Young's turnaround boosts Panthers' playoff hopes

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — There were plenty of question marks surrounding Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young entering the season, the most obvious being if he could win at the NFL level.

But after going 6-22 as a starter in his first two seasons, the No. 1 overall pick in 2023 has given the playoff-starved organization a reason to believe he's the right guy moving forward. He's 8-6 as a starter this season and has added to his growing reputation as a clutch performer.

Young has led 12 game-winning drives in the fourth quarter or overtime in three seasons — the most of any QB in the league in that time frame.

He did it again on Sunday, connecting on a 34-yard strike with Jalen Coker down the right sideline on a third down play leading to the go-ahead field goal in Carolina's 23-20 win over rival Tampa Bay. The win vaulted the Panthers into sole possession of first place in the NFC South.

While Young is far from a finished product, his confidence seems to be growing with each passing week and his recognition of defenses continues to improve.

''Bryce just was taking what was there and the Bucs did a great job of mixing things up,'' Panthers coach Dave Canales said after Sunday's game. ''They showed blitz looks and popped out to (cover) two. They showed normal looks, brought blitzes and Bryce just did the right thing with the ball. He threw it away when he had to, extended the play when he could. Just the way he's been operating, the confidence, the connection and all the hard work that he's put in with this young group."

Young also showed toughness after getting his ankle stepped on early in the game, fighting through the injury.

The playoff-starved Panthers find themselves on the cusp of their first postseason berth since 2017 — and first division title in a decade — entering the final two weeks of the regular season.

Carolina can clinch the NFC South with a win Sunday over Seattle and a Buccaneers loss to Miami. Any other scenario means the Bucs and Panthers will meet in a Week 18 rematch in Tampa to determine the division champion.

''The playoffs is a couple weeks away. We don't have the luxury to be able to think about that and play ‘what-if.' We have to focus on next week," Young said. "Right now it's fun in the locker room, we get to perform, but for all of us, after 24 hours, next week will be the biggest game of the year. That's always how it will be. That's always going to be our approach.''

What's working

Carolina's cornerback tandem of Jaycee Horn and Mike Jackson is emerging as one of the best in the league. The Panthers limited Baker Mayfield to 145 yards. Mike Evans had two catches for 14 yards and a TD on Tampa Bay's opening drive, but was limited to 17 yards receiving the rest of the game. Carolina also held Chris Godwin and Emeka Egbuka in check.

The Panthers have relied heavily on their run game this season, but it was largely ineffective against the Bucs. Rico Dowdle had only 29 yards rushing on nine carries while Chuba Hubbard had 27 yards on six carries. The Panthers did get a 25-yard run from wide receiver Jimmy Horn on a reverse and 20 yards on the ground from Young to surpass 100 yards rushing on the day.

Stock up

One week after a costly penalty against New Orleans on the Saints final game-winning drive, Panthers rookie safety Lathan Ransom came up with an interception with 42 seconds left against Mayfield that sealed the win over the Bucs. Ransom, a fourth-round pick from Ohio State, said he used last week's blunder as motivation heading into the Bucs game.

Stock down

Panthers wide receiver Xavier Legette was limited to one catch for 12 yards. He also had a drop and failed to have sideline recognition when he didn't manage to catch either of his feet inbounds following a catch near the sideline. Meanwhile, Coker continues to emerge, catching three passes for 47 yards after touchdown receptions in each of the team's previous two games.

The Panthers emerged healthy from Sunday's win over the Bucs, but concerns remain about starting left tackle Ickey Ekwonu. Ekwonu missed the game with a knee injury after undergoing an MRI earlier in the week. The Panthers clearly don't want to risk losing Ekwonu to a long-term injury, so they are being cautious. ... Canales also said the team could open the 21-day window this week on guard Robert Hunt, who has been out since Week 2 with a torn biceps. Hunt is considered the team's top offensive lineman.

Key number

2015 — The most recent time the Panthers won the NFC South title.

Next steps

Over the next two games the Panthers face the two QBs they determined weren't good enough to lead their franchise — Seattle's Sam Darnold and Tampa Bay's Baker Mayfield.