A lot of fingers point at quarterback Bryce Young.
Of course, the quarterback is the most watched player on the field. He will often be the hero when a team win or the villain when they lose.
Four weeks into his third season in the NFL, Bryce Young has won seven career games. His 1-15 away record is one of the worst of all time.
As the first overall pick in the 2023 draft, in which Carolina traded a host of picks and a blue-chip player to climb up from ninth to acquire his services, the former Heisman Trophy winner was always going to be under the spotlight.
Quarterback: Potential or problem?
Some of Young’s performances have been questionable, disappointing and frustrating for Panthers fans. He is criticised heavily as one of the worst quarterbacks in the league and one of the worst first draft picks ever by the wider media and opposing fans.
As fans, we see the potential in him, for the most part. We understand part of the bigger problem is the supporting cast. Young has never had much help from his teammates, least of all in his rookie year.
Since the release of Cam Newton in 2020, Carolina tried filling that void with Teddy Bridgewater, Sam Darnold and Baker Mayfield, in the hope of finding the quarterback of the future and face of the franchise. Each of them failed.
But look at Darnold and Mayfield now. They are excellent quarterbacks leading their respective teams. Those quarterbacks’ failures forced the Panthers into trading up in 2023 the take Bryce Young. So far, Young is failing too.
The issue in Carolina often looks like the quarterback, but why? As history would play it, Young could leave Carolina and go on to have a future like Darnold and Mayfield. He could be a star at his next team while the Panthers attempt to revive the franchise with a replacement who will most likely struggle too.
I keep seeing 2026 mock drafts in where the Panthers take a quarterback high in the draft. That would not solve our problem. That quarterback would face the same struggles as Young: playing for a team with no direction and an underachieving supporting cast.
So, is the problem the quarterback? No.
Team owner: Master or meddler?
The Panthers have a 37-83 record since David Tepper purchased the team in 2018. We have not had a winning record or reached the play offs since 2017. Coincidence? I think not.
Tepper fired head coach Ron Rivera in 2019 and hired Matt Rhule. Rhule was fired in 2022 and replaced by Frank Reich. Reich was fired after Week 12 in his first season and replaced by Dave Canales.
The team is onto its third general manager since Tepper took over: Marty Hurney, Scott Fitterer and now Dan Morgan. Five quarterbacks have been recruited as starters. This turnover is incredible.
Tepper’s leadership has been abysmal. He has been far too involved in the day-to-day goings on at the team instead of hiring capable people to get on with the jobs they are paid to do.
Is David Tepper the problem? Absolutely! But he cannot get fired. So, who else is to blame?
Head coach: Help or hinderance?
Dave Canales is starting to come under fire from the fans. Personally, I love Canales as a person. His personality and positivity are infectious. He sounds like a man with a plan. But does he really?
You could play word bingo at a Dave Canales press conference after a defeat. He says the same things every time and it never gets any better.
I respect that he had a mountain to climb when he took the job following the 2-15 2023 season. So far, we have won six out of the 21 games he has overseen with not much development shown from last season to the first four games this year.
He constantly seems underprepared. The first game of the season seemed like a preseason game. That day, Liam Coen, the first-year head coach of the opposing team – the Jacksonville Jaguars – out-coached Canales. Canales and defensive coordinator Ejero Evero handed play calling duties to other coaches in the first two games of preseason to build their experience.
They too need to build on their experience and play calling, especially Canales who is only a second-year head coach. Some calls made by Canales makes you believe he has a lack of trust in Bryce Young’s abilities. Maybe Young does not trust Canales’ play calling.
There does seem to be a lack of trust between the two. Twice, on third-and-long plays in the 42-13 defeat to the New England Patriots on Sunday, the call was a screen pass to Rico Dowdle at the line of scrimmage. We completed five out of 14 third down plays and one out of three fourth-down attempts.
Those failed fourth-down plays were completed busted. The play calling did not work. Perhaps Canales does not trust Young to make a pressuring third- or fourth-down completion.
A first overall draft pick and Heisman Trophy winner should be able to complete a 10-yard pass on third down with more efficiency. Young’s career passing average is 5.7 yards. This season, it has been 5.2, good enough for 31st in the NFL.
So what gives?
It feels like either Young or Canales might have to leave Carolina. Would that help?
Rivera, Rhule, Reich, Hurney, Fitterer, Newton, Bridgewater, Darnold and Mayfield have all failed in Carolina in the Tepper era. So far Young, Canales and Morgan are failing too.
Would firing Canales or trading/releasing Young benefit the organisation? Honestly, I believe it would make no difference as I would expect failure from the replacements too.
So, what is the answer to success in Carolina? Beats me.
