There were a ton of firsts in yesterday’s matchup between the Carolina Panthers and Houston Texans.
We saw this year’s first overall pick go head to head against this year’s second overall pick for the first time in their pro careers. Heck, it was even the first time the two players shared a field since middle school.
But the most important first, as the first overall pick would tell you, was the first win of the season for his team.
Fresh off a thrilling 15-13 victory, one where he orchestrated the first (another one) fourth-quarter comeback for the Panthers since 2018, quarterback Bryce Young downplayed his showdown with C.J. Stroud.
“That’s my dog, that’s my brother,” Young said of Stroud after the game. “I have a ton of love and respect for him. But it’s not a one-on-one game out there.”
Well, as we’ve said before, this is the NFL—and the NFL loves them some quarterback stats. So, here’s a breakdown of the numbers from Young vs. Stroud: Part One . . .
| Bryce Young | C.J. Stroud | |
| 22-31 | Completions-Attempts | 16-24 |
| 71.0 | Completion Percentage | 66.6 |
| 235 | Passing Yards | 140 |
| 7.6 | Yards Per Attempt | 5.8 |
| 1 | Passing Touchdowns | 0 |
| 0 | Interceptions | 0 |
| 103.6 | Passer Rating | 81.9 |
| 11 | Rushing Yards | 13 |
| 0 | Rushing Touchdowns | 1 |
| 68.2 | Pro Football Focus Offensive Grade | 60.6 |
What’s more impressive than some of those stats is how the rookies looked. Both Young and Stroud, especially in suboptimal settings and circumstances, displayed the confidence, touch and playmaking ability they were heralded for coming out of college.
And if we may, courtesy of PFF, we’ll give you some more numbers to illustrate just that—as the duo remained poised in the toughest of situations. Young and Stroud were blitzed for a total of 23 dropbacks—in which they combined for a 16-of-19 completion clip that resulted in 230 yards.
So, whether they were first, second or even third (shout out to Texans defensive end Will Anderson Jr. and his sack), the rooks gave their teams another encouraging glimpse into what should be a bright future.
