Carolina’s Sunday opener was a wild one, where the Panthers dropped 37 points on the scoreboard. Think about that for a second. Thirty-seven points! But here’s the kicker: they still took a brutal loss, giving up a whopping 59 points to the opposing team. The guy making those offensive calls for the first time in an NFL regular-season game? That would be offensive coordinator Brad Idzik.
Canales Handed Over The Reins, And He’s Liking What He Sees
Head coach Dave Canales, who was the play-caller for his first two years in Carolina, decided to pass the duties to Idzik this offseason. And after that high-scoring, albeit losing, debut? Canales sounded genuinely stoked. He told reporters, “I thought the rhythm was good.” That’s huge! Getting the offense into comfortable concepts, finding those big plays, even if they were “infrequent,” it means they were moving the ball. Canales was “really pleased” with how Idzik managed the calls, saying he got them in “timely fashion” and made it “cohesive for the offense and for Bryce and all that.” The Panthers racked up an impressive 478 total yards too. You gotta take that as a win for the offensive side, even when the scoreboard isn’t pretty.
Bryce Young’s Big Day And The Team’s Next Step
A huge chunk of that 478-yard output came straight from Bryce Young. The guy threw for 361 yards and three touchdowns in that defeat! That’s his second-most passing yards in his four-year NFL career, with his career high of 448 coming last season in Atlanta. When asked about his new OC, Young was all praise, saying “Brad did a great job.” He emphasized the “great” communication, both on the sideline and in the calls. But here’s the real talk from Young: “It’s on us to make some more stuff come to life for him.” That’s the truth right there. The OC can call it, but the players have to execute.
So, what’s next? Young, Idzik, and Canales are headed to Atlanta next Sunday for their second outing of the campaign. That’s where Young put up his career-best numbers last season. The offensive rhythm is there, the yardage is there, and the points can clearly be scored. The question now is: can they make “some more stuff come to life” for Idzik and turn that offensive firepower into a much-needed win? It’s going to be a fascinating watch.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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