Author: Eric Edholm

Rank: 27 (+1)

Take: “Sunday’s hard-fought loss to the back-to-back Super Bowl champions was another positive step for embattled QB Bryce Young. Down 20-6, Young led gutsy scoring drives on both sides of halftime, pulling the Panthers to within four points. Carolina would end up tying the game late, and Young’s strong play against a very good Kansas City defense was a big reason why. The Chiefs sent the dogs after Young, but he responded by completing 11 of his 14 passes against blitzes for 123 yards and a touchdown on Sunday, per Next Gen Stats. He was also sacked twice, but Young’s play in that game — in line with his recent upswing — means he deserves to get the starting opportunities down the stretch. Alex Smith, the player I thought Young most resembled coming out of college, struggled early in his career before finding his groove. So did Jared Goff and Matthew Stafford. Things weren’t looking great for Young as recently as a month ago, but even in Sunday’s loss, he’s shown that not all paths to success are direct and swift.”