CHARLOTTE — The Carolina Panthers got a look at what might have been on Sunday, and likely are happy with where they ended up.
Bryce Young, the top pick in the 2023 Draft, outdueled No. 2 pick C.J. Stroud and led a last-minute game-winning drive to give the Panthers their first win of the season, 15-13 over the Houston Texans.
Young had struggled in his five starts as the Panthers opened the season with six straight losses, and Carolina coach Frank Reich turned over offensive playcalling duties to coordinator Thomas Brown prior to last Sunday’s bye week.
The offense was hardly a juggernaut in the first game after the break, but Young managed the game well enough to earn his first career win. Despite getting sacked six times behind an offensive line that looked shakier than it has all season, Young completed 22 of 31 passes for 235 yards and posted a career-best quarterback rating of 103.6.
Just as importantly, he delivered a message to the Panthers braintrust and fans that the team didn’t err by trading up to take him first overall. Stroud, who the Panthers worked out and evaluated in the weeks leading up to the draft, had led the Texans to a 3-3 mark with 700 more passing yards than Young in his rookie season, throwing 9 touchdowns and 1 interception to Young’s 6 and 4.
On Sunday, however, Young had the edge, throwing for 95 more yards than Stroud, who went 16 of 24 for 140 yards and one rushing touchdown.
When Houston took a 13-12 lead in the fourth quarter, Young got the ball on the Panthers’ 9-yard line with 6:17 to go. He led Carolina on a 15-play, 86-yard march that consumed the rest of the game clock. He completed five of six passes on the drive for 50 yards and scrambled for another 7 to put the Panthers in field goal range, at the Houston 30, at the two-minute warning.
Chuba Hubbard ran the ball five straight times, moving the team to the 18 and forcing Houston to use all three timeouts. After two Houston penalties moved the ball to the 5-yard line, kicker Eddy Pineiro kicked the game winner at the final gun to record the win.
“Making plays on the drive when we needed was clutch,” Reich said of Young. “Bryce made a bunch of those during the day, but when we needed him the most, he made the biggest plays.”
“It’s definitely an exciting feeling,” Young said. “As we know, wins aren’t easy to come by in this league. It’s great to get on the board.”
Reich gave Young his first career game ball and also presented a game ball to offensive coordinator Brown.
“He did a great job calling his first game,” Reich said. “It was his game. I resisted any temptation to get involved. I thought he did a fantastic job, and a fantastic job getting them ready during the week.”
Young refused to put any significance on earning the win over Stroud.
“We’re two teams,” he said. “CJ is my dog, my brother. It’s not a one-on-one game out there. It took all 11, all 22 on both sides of the ball. It took everyone.”
