Bryce Young just pulled off something no other Carolina Panthers quarterback has ever done, hitting at least 250 passing yards and a touchdown pass in seven straight games. This dude is on a different level, becoming the first NFL player since 2013 to throw for at least 280 yards and a TD in his first five games this season.
Young and the Offense: Rewriting the History Books
You wanna know how big that is for Young? The last two quarterbacks to accomplish the same feat through five games, Aaron Rodgers in 2011 and Peyton Manning in 2013, both went on to snag MVP trophies. That’s some seriously rarified air Young is breathing right now.
But this isn’t just about individual stats; the Young-led offense is flat-out producing. They’ve dropped 146 points through the first five games of the season. That’s the highest total in team history for that stretch, blowing past the old record of 135 points set by Cam Newton and the 2015 Panthers. Remember that 2015 squad? They were on their way to an MVP season for Cam and a Super Bowl 50 appearance. Talk about setting a new bar!
Milestones Galore and a Kicking Comeback
It wasn’t just Young making history, though. Tetairoa McMillan grabbed six receptions against the Eagles, tying him with Kelvin Benjamin as the second fastest player in team history to reach 100 career receptions. While the article throws a little shade about the career trajectory comparison, it’s still an impressive mark for McMillan early on.
And then there’s Ryan Fitzgerald. His first field goal of the afternoon made him the first kicker since big-legged Joey Slye to nail his first 10 attempts in a season. For the record, Slye did miss two extra points in that time, so let’s hope Fitzgerald keeps that perfect streak going across the board! We love a reliable kicker.
Finally, a massive shoutout to long snapper JJ Jansen. This legend set the NFL record for most games played by a long snapper, hitting 282 games. That’s an incredible display of longevity and consistency in a position that often goes unnoticed.
The Ugly Truth: Penalties Piling Up
Okay, so it wasn’t all celebrations and records. The Panthers also set a team record for most penalty yardage given up in a single game against the Eagles. Oof. That’s a tough pill to swallow when you’re trying to keep momentum. This isn’t just a one-off, either; the team has been near the top of the league in penalty yardage all season. That’s a worrying trend, for sure. You just can’t be giving away free yards like that and expect to maintain a winning record consistently.
While the win over the Eagles might not have been a masterpiece, these milestones show a team with serious firepower and a quarterback who is absolutely electrifying. They’re racking up wins, even if the “product on the field may have been ugly” at times, but they absolutely *must* clean up those penalties. If they can tighten that up, they’ve got a shot to build something special this season.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Cat Scratch Reader.
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