Carolina Panthers rookie quarterback Bryce Young to miss Week 3
Rookie quarterback Bryce Young is dealing with an ankle injury and is not expected to start in the Carolina Panthers' Week 3 game against the Seattle Seahawks. If Young does not start against the Seahawks, veteran quarterback Andy Dalton will start for the Panthers.
The Panthers traded up to acquire the No. 1 pick from the Chicago Bears in the 2023 NFL Draft and specifically selected Young with the No. 1 overall pick. Young played college ball with the Alabama Crimson Tide and is the top quarterback prospect in the draft. The Panthers are looking forward to rebuilding and restarting the franchise around Young.
The Panthers went 7-10 last season and are starting three different quarterbacks in 2022.Sam Darnold missed the preseason due to injury, and Baker Mayfield started the season at quarterback. Walker started five games after P.J. Mayfield suffered a severe ankle sprain. Mayfield returned as the starter in Week 11, but was eventually cut.
Frank Reich takes over as head coach after the Panthers had an unsuccessful season under former head coach Matt Rule, who went 1-4 last October. Was fired after the start.
The restart takes time, and the Panthers are off to an 0-2 start. They currently sit at the bottom of the NFC South.
Young had been struggling before suffering an ankle injury
The Panthers lost 44-27 in Week 2. Their 17-point deficit is the second-worst in the NFC.
“Our battle on offense is not one person’s,” Reich said. “It’s not that far,” Reich said confidently. "It looks bad, but I think it's not far off."
In Young's NFL debut against the Falcons in Week 1 in Atlanta, the Panthers scored just 10 points. Young played like a rookie and looked lost in his first pro game. He was 20-of-36 passing for 146 yards. He had one touchdown, but also had two interceptions and two sacks.
The following week, the Panthers scored 17 points in a 20-17 loss to the Saints in their Monday Night Football home debut in Charlotte. Young completed 22 of 33 passes for 153 yards and a touchdown. He avoided an interception but was sacked four times. He added 34 rushing yards on two carries.
"Obviously we didn't do enough offensively," Young said after the loss to the Saints. “Their defense absolutely overwhelmed us.”
Young injured his ankle in the first half but remained in the game without notifying the medical staff or trainers.
Young did not practice this week and all indications are that he will be out in Week 3. If he recovers from his ankle injury, Young will return in Week 4 when the Panthers host the Minnesota Vikings.
Young's passer rating of 66.6 ranks second-worst in the NFL. He ranks 27th in total QBR on ESPN with a 35.5 rating.
“I know how difficult it is to be in this position,” Reich added. "I've been dealing with this long enough to know how much it depends on everything."
Andy Dalton ready to play for Panthers
The Panthers want to protect Young, which is why they're taking a cautious approach and letting his ankle injury heal rather than pushing him back into the lineup. The Panthers entered "Monday Night Football" with one less day to prepare for this week's road game against the Seahawks. Reich will start Dalton in place of Young.
“That’s the thing about Bryce,” Dalton told The Athletic. "I'm not here to make it a game, I'm here to make something out of it. I'm here to help the team."
The Panthers signed Dalton this offseason to serve as Young's mentor and general insurance. Dalton is a former Cincinnati Bengals star who started 162 games in 12 seasons in the NFL. As a starter, he started 14 games for the New Orleans Saints last season and had a record of 83-77-2.
Dalton is widely considered one of the best backup quarterbacks in the NFL, along with Gardner Minshew of the Indianapolis Colts. Minshew will start for the Colts in Week 3 as rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson suffered a concussion in Week 2.
"AD still has it," Panthers center Bradley Bozeman said. "The Ginger Cat has been rocking, that's why he's here. He's a great leader, and whoever's at quarterback, whether it's him or Bryce, they're going to be ready."
“I just go out there and try to be as efficient as possible,” Dalton added. Dalton was the Saints' 6-8 starter last season when Jameis Winston was sidelined with a back injury. Dalton completed 66.7 percent of his passes for 2,871 yards, 18 touchdowns and nine interceptions.
Betting 0-2 Panthers
The Tampa Bay Buccaneers won the NFC South last season with a losing record, which seems fitting since it's one of the worst divisions in the NFL. With Tom Brady retiring, the Buccaneers are no longer an NFC South team.
The Panthers (0-2) are last in the division, while the Buccaneers, Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints are 2-0 in a three-way battle for first place. The Panthers, who are winless this season, are 0-1-1 against the spread. They enter the game with a +3 home disadvantage heading into last week's game against the Saints.
The Panthers open Week 3 on the road against the Seahawks as a +4.5 underdog. Early money supports the Seahawks, while the Panthers are now +6 dogs.
The Seahawks are 1-1 straight up, 1-1 ATS. They lost their home opener to the Los Angeles Rams in Week 2, but bounced back with a 37-31 road win over the Detroit Lions in Week 2.
Oddsmakers have the Panthers as a 7.5-point preseason favorite (7.5 over/under) to win. After losing two games to start the season, the Panthers have an adjusted winning percentage of 5.5 o/u.
The Panthers have a slim chance of making the playoffs at +700 odds and are the team most likely to miss the playoffs at -1200 odds. The Saints are the favorite at +115 to win the NFC South, followed by the Falcons (+175), Buccaneers (+400) and Panthers (+2200).
At +20,000 odds, the Panthers are nowhere near winning Super Bowl 58. The Panthers are the second-to-last team on the future slate to win the NFC Championship at +10,000 odds.
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