Can you even believe what we’re seeing right now? Bryce Young, the dude who was benched just two years ago, just led the Panthers to a 32-26 Sunday Night Football win over the Lions, throwing for 329 yards and two touchdowns. And get this: the “MVP” chants were raining down on him. That’s his first prime-time win, by the way. It’s wild to think where he was, practically on the sidelines, and now he’s leading the entire NFL in passing yards and passing first downs. Talk about a glow-up!
From Benchwarmer to Top Dog
Seriously, it’s a story you almost can’t make up. Just 24 months ago, Young was riding the pine, getting benched for Andy Dalton, and everyone was wondering if his NFL career was toast. Now, he’s not just playing, he’s tearing it up. Beyond leading the league in passing yards and first downs, he’s tied for third in passing touchdowns and sits seventh in yards per attempt. And for a quarterback who doesn’t have a cannon for an arm, he’s showing serious touch, leading the NFL with 55 completions of 10+ yards and tied for second with 17 completions of 20+ yards. What’s even crazier? He’s doing all of this without his No. 2 (Jalen Coker) and No. 3 (Xavier Legette) wide receivers, and rookie Chris Brazzell is out for the season after a training camp injury. Plus, his offensive line is getting pressured on a ridiculous 46.3% of his dropbacks, with only Justin Herbert facing a higher rate. The guy’s a magician out there!
The Seattle-Linked Mastermind Behind the Turnaround
So, how are the 2-2 Panthers pulling this off, especially with all those injuries? Look no further than offensive coordinator Brad Idzik. This offseason, head coach Dave Canales handed him the play-calling duties, and Idzik, who has a history with Canales going back to their Seattle days in 2019, is cooking up something special. It’s a huge shift from previous years. The Panthers now lead the NFL in pass rate over expected and are fifth in pass percentage overall. They’re not just dinking and dunking either; Young is 12th in deep pass rate, ninth in air yards per attempt, and sixth in explosives per dropback. These numbers are a massive jump from last season:
* **Pass rate over expected:** From -10.2% in 2024-25 to 2.0% in 2026.
* **Pass rate:** Up from 56.5% to 64.6%.
* **Bryce Young deep pass rate:** Spiked from 10.1% to 13.6%.
* **Bryce Young air yards per attempt:** Increased from 7.5 to 9.0.
* **Bryce Young explosives per dropback:** Jumped from 7.0% to 9.7%.
Plus, Young is now using play action on a career-high 31.5% of his dropbacks, averaging a career-best 8.1 yards per play on those passes. He’s making incredible throws under pressure, like one beauty on Sunday night where he had a defender right in his face. It makes you wonder if these 2-2 Panthers, with Young playing like this, can actually make consecutive playoff trips for the first time in over a decade.
While Young is doing his thing back East, our own Seahawks just pulled off a huge home win! The 12s at Lumen Field watched Sam Darnold and the boys beat the Los Angeles Chargers 30-23. That’s a massive W for the Emerald City as we keep pushing early in the season!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by CBS Sports.
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