Bryce Young Made Franchise History on Sunday

On Sunday, former Alabama quarterback and current Carolina Panther Bryce Young made history during the Panthers' 30-27 overtime win against the Atlanta Falcons.

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Young left the game in the first half, after clutching his right ankle–the same one that caused him to miss Week 8. The Panthers and Falcons were tied at 7-7 when Young exited the game, and it was uncertain if he would return after heading to the locker room.

However, Young came back with a heavily taped ankle, ready to lead his team to a comeback victory against their division rival. Young not only returned to lead his team to victory in overtime, but he did so by passing for a franchise record with 448 yards and three touchdowns, sweeping the Falcons for the first time since 2013 and the fourth time in franchise history.

"I'm super grateful to be a Panther, to be a part of this team. We are so resilient," said Young following the victory.

The win was nothing short of impressive, and much work had to be done to pull it off in Mercedes-Benz Stadium. The first quarter closed out with a 7-7 tie, but the Falcons took control in the second quarter, taking an 11-point lead and closing out the quarter ahead 21-10.

The third quarter was just what Young needed to get the Panthers back in the game and to begin chipping away at the Falcons' lead. At 12:04 in the third quarter, Young connected with second-year wide receiver Xavier Legette for a 36-yard touchdown, cutting the Falcons' lead to 21-16. The Panthers' defense held strong, limiting the Falcons from scoring in the third and giving the offense more room to keep building. With under a minute remaining, the Panthers were in field goal range and Ryan Fitzgerald executed a 34-yard field goal to close the gap to 21-19.

The fourth quarter was do or die, and neither team was willing to back down, holding each other scoreless until Zane Gonzalez added a 52-yard field goal to the Falcons' lead at the 2:43 mark. As seen in his college days, Young can be surgical with just a minute and a few seconds on the clock, and with 1:08 remaining, he strategically led his team down the field to take the lead after Tetairoa McMillan caught a 12-yard touchdown pass, followed by a successful two-point conversion pass to Jalen Coker (27-24).

The Falcons looked to regain their lead or tie it up with the time remaining, and they successfully got Gonzalez in field goal range to deliver a 45-yard field goal that would send the game to overtime.

In overtime, the Falcons had the chance to score and win, but the Panthers' defense kept them from doing so, and the Panthers ultimately won 30-27 after Fitzgerald delivered a 28-yard field goal at the 5:10 mark.

The win was historic, as Young became the fifth player in NFL history under the age of 25 with at least 30 completions, 425 passing yards, three touchdowns, and zero interceptions in a game, according to the Panthers. He joins Drew Bledsoe, Lamar Jackson, Patrick Mahomes (twice), and C.J. Stroud.

Young finished the game with 31 completions on 45 attempts, 448 passing yards, three touchdowns, and no interceptions. The 448-yard performance is now the most in a game by a Panthers player in franchise history, surpassing Cam Newton's 432 yard performance in 2011.

"Definitely honored," Young said regarding breaking Newton's record. "I have so much respect for Cam, all that he's accomplished. Hearing that is definitely an honor." Even though Young accomplished a major milestone in his career, he reminded everyone that individual accolades are nothing compared to the team getting a win. "Individual awards, that's not what I'm after. They don't mean anything. I'm grateful that we won. We had the most important stat, that we won."

With the win, the Panthers now boasts a 6-5 record, second behind the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the best record in the NFC South. If the Panthers can maintain their success, they are in position to have a winning season and in the hunt for the playoffs for the first time since 2017.

"That's exactly the vision and the dream that I hoped for, that if we played complementary football for a long time we'll put ourselves in position for the finish," head coach Dave Canales said on being in this position.

With grit and determination from a quarterback like Young, who battled through an injury, the Panthers have a player who's willing to do everything for his team in order to be successful, and that makes the Panthers a challenging opponent.

Carolina's next two games are against the San Francisco 49ers on Nov. 24, who had former Alabama quarterback Mac Jones leading the charge until Brock Purdy returned in Week 11, and the Los Angeles Rams on Nov. 30. Both have seven or more wins on the season and are contenders. The Panthers also have two opportunities remaining against the first-place Buccaneers (Dec. 21 and Jan. 4).