Vertical hold: Panthers aim to lift downfield passing 

TROY HULL | THE CHARLOTTE POST

Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young ranks 31nd among NFL quarterbacks in yards per pass at 5.6 and 31st in pass attempts of 20 yards or more, a sign of lack of explosive plays through the air.

Bryce Young could not rescue the Carolina Panthers.  

When needed, and against a supposed weaker opponent, Young misfired on all but one pass covering more than 13 yards Sunday against New Orleans. The Saints all but dared coach Dave Canales, the Panthers’ primary play caller, to direct Young to throw downfield against mostly one-on-one coverage.  

He rarely did. 

With 8:51 in the third quarter, however, Young hit rookie Tetairoa McMillan with a deep pass down the middle, resulting in a 26-yard gain. At the time, the Panthers trailed 10-7 and executing their first sustained drive since their game-opening series.  

But three plays later, rookie Ryan Fitzgerald’s low 48-yard field goal attempt was blocked, creating one of the “missed opportunities” Canales lamented against following the uninspiring 17-7 defeat to the NFC South-rival Saints (2-8). 

“We have a standard of how we work and when it’s not up to standards, it’s my job to make them aware of it,” Canales said Monday via Panthers.com. “I made them aware of it.” 

Panthers need to pass playoff test 

With running back Rico Dowdle unable to penetrate the Saints’ “heavy boxes from the start (and with) safeties dropping out of the sky,” he said after the game, Carolina receivers were left with deep chances. All but one fluttered incomplete to one of the youngest position groups in the NFL.  

“I think it’s just timing and rhythm,” Canales said during Sunday. “But it’s also the choices (and) the type of passes. That’s something that starts with me.”  

In shielding Young, Canales absorbed the blame for the offense’s lack of big plays.  Minus an effective running game – Dowdle and Chuba Hubbard combined for 67 yards on 21 carries – The Panthers failed to score on their final nine series. They fell to 5-5 and failed to take advantage of the division-leading Tampa Bay’s (6-3) loss.  

The Saints snapped a four-game losing streak by “basically trying to overmatch our personnel,” Dowdle said.  

Young, who was credited with two turnovers (an interception and a fumble), shared the blame.  

“I take accountability,” he said. “I gotta be better. We gotta do better stuff. It’s on us. We gotta execute and it starts with me.”    

A week after a stirring upset win over the then-NFC-leading Green Bay, the Panthers appeared to be on the fringe of playoff contention. Now?  

Canales is left picking up the pieces of a passing game exposed for its lack of explosiveness. Averaging 5.6 yards per attempt, Young ranks 32nd among qualified quarterbacks. 

Young aims to ‘turn the page’ 

Since trading 12-year veteran Adam Thielen at the end of training camp in August and seven-year professional David Moore injured his shoulder in Week 4, the Panthers have been relying primarily on McMillan, Legette, rookie Jimmy Horn Jr. and sophomore Jalen Coker.  

With a road game Sunday at Atlanta (3-6), the Panthers should expect to see more seven- and eight-man fronts.  

Referring to his play calls, Canales said: “I’ve got to do a better job.”   

 
To make a run at the postseason for the first time since 2017, Canales and Young likely will need to rediscover success throwing downfield. Like the one they shared last season after Young reclaimed the starting role. Through the final 10 games, Young ranked sixth in pass attempts of 20 or more yards. This season, he’s 31st. 

“We’ve got to turn the page,” Young said. “I’m definitely frustrated because we didn’t execute, we didn’t be the best, that best version of ourselves that we’re chasing, that we know we can be.” 

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