Young went 0-2 on third down passes, sailing a ball high to Chark once under pressure, and Laviska Shenault Jr. ran his route too deep on the other. On the final third down, the QB was swarmed for a sack.
“I mean, that’s part of the game, of course,” Young said of taking hits from the Jets pass rush. “Football is a physical sport. It’s part of the job description, you’re going to get hit, and again, that’s the game we play. So, you know, it’s part of the job.
“Can’t let that affect your decision-making or what you’re going through. For me, that’s part of the game. It happens, and I’m just focused on the next play and just trying to make sure I execute every time I get a chance to out there.”
The rookie’s calmness in the pocket and ability to get through the progression is positive, but the outing was too brief for any big takeaways. He did display his toughness, though.
“Obviously, that first hit was pretty big, right?” Reich said. “I mean, that first hit was pretty big. I asked him on the sideline, kind of in the second. I waited until the second half. I said, ‘Well, that was a pretty good welcome to the NFL hit. How’d that one feel?’ And he said he was fine. He said he barely felt it, so I don’t know.”
The struggles of the offensive line undercut Young’s debut. Despite playing four starters, Carolina got no push in the run game, and the QB was regularly pressured. The right guard spot is a clear issue, at least until Austin Corbett returns from the physically unable to perform list. The Panthers rotated the RG position during Young’s three drives, with Michael Jordan giving up the sack.
Facing a deep Jets defensive line, which sat its starters, will make plenty of offenses look silly this season.
Young entered the NFL with questions about his slender frame. While that wasn’t an issue in college, and the Panthers’ staff has wholly rejected concerns, the struggles of the offensive line Saturday will reconjure those questions.