Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young, who struggled during his previous two NFL season-opening performances, needed to have a clean start Sunday.
He didn’t come close.
Young threw an interception and lost a fumble during the first half at EverBank Stadium, setting the stage for the Jacksonville Jaguars to cruise to a 26-10 victory.
During his first 10 quarters on opening day, Young’s play resulted in one touchdown pass, five interceptions and the lost fumble. On Sunday, he went 18 of 35 for 154 yards, one TD and two interceptions. His QB rating was 49.0.
On Aug. 28, Panthers’ second-year coach Dave Canales spoke of his optimism entering the season.
“The guys are ready,” Canales said. “They’re itching. They’re excited.”
The excitement dimmed before the second-quarter lighting delay.
After yielding 3,057 rushing yards last season, the third most in league history, the Panthers again failed to stop an opponent’s rushing game. Led by Travis Etienne Jr.’s 143 yards, the Jaguars compiled 200 yards rushing on 32 attempts, a 6.3 per carry average. The Panthers have allowed at least 200 yards rushing in their past seven games, dating back to last season.
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Young suffers his third straight poor Week 1 start. He has seven combined turnovers and only three TDs. He continues to display leadership qualities …
The last time the Panthers visited Jacksonville, Panthers owner David Tepper was caught throwing water at Jaguars fans. The NFL fined him $300,000. On Sunday, Tepper was slated to watch the game in a different suite …
Brother vs. brother …
Jaycee Horn (8) attempted to fire up the Panthers during a pregame speech …
Jaguars’ fans were primed to see Travis Hunter play on both sides of the ball …
How about Jaguars coach Liam Coen going for it on a fourth-and-one play from the Jaguars’ 37-yard line? That’s guts from any coach, but a first-year coach directing his first offensive series? Coen called a jet sweep for Dyami Brown, who gained four yards for a first down. Despite two holding calls and an intentional grounding penalty, the Jaguars managed to get points on the series after kicker Cam Little converted a 35-yard field goal …
Benefitting from three third-down conversions, the Panthers tied the score at 3-3 with 36 seconds remaining in the first quarter. During the Panthers’ season-opening drive, rookie Tetairoa McMillan registered his first catch on a third-and-seven play …
📺 FOX
After the Panthers‘ defense forced the Jaguars into their first punt of the season, Young rolled out on a second-and-one play and appeared to have room to run for a first down. Instead, Young attempted to hit Xavier Legette, but Foyesade Oluokun intercepted the pass. It was big for the Jaguars, considering they ranked last in takeaways last season …
Would have liked to see him pick up a few short yards with his legs here – rather than force a tight throw on the run.
Worth noting there is some debatable pass interference from the Defense. #NFL #CARvsJAX #KeepPounding
The Jaguars took advantage of the turnover as quarterback Trevor Lawrence hit Hunter Long for a 6-yard touchdown pass, helping give the Jaguars a 10-3 lead at 8:32 of the second quarter …
📺: FOX
Lightning Strikes
With lightning in the Jacksonville, Fla., area, the game endured a delay of one hour 16 minutes …
The Panthers wasted a chance to pin the Jaguars deep in their own end just before halftime. Etienne broke off a 71-yard run after safety Nick Scott missed an open-field ankle tackle …
📺: FOX
Following the big run, Brian Thomas ran in the end zone untouched as the Jaguars went 91 yards on four rushing plays. The Jaguars opened up a 17-3 lead …
Young has had trouble sliding during runs since he was drafted No. 1 overall in 2023. At the end of the second half, Young stumbled and was stripped of the football by cornerback Jourdan Lewis. The turnover led to a 47-yard field goal by Little with one second remaining in the half and the Jaguars leading 20-3. Young’s struggles continued into the third quarter …
📺: FOX
Horn, who signed a 4-year, $100 million extension last offseason, created the Panthers’ first turnover this season, an area the team struggled with the past few seasons …
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One play after Young’s ill-advised shovel pass resulted in a pick-six, Chuba Hubbard caught a 27-yard touchdown, pulling the Panthers to within 23-10 with 4:47 remaining …
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Young summarized his effort during the final snap. The 2023 No. 1 overall draft pick fell to 0-3 in Week 1 starts …
NFL Fans Respond To Panthers, Bryce Young’s Weak Week 1 Effort Vs. Jaguars