At this point, all the woeful Carolina Panthers have to play for is getting Bryce Young valuable experience. And for the most part, they’re accomplishing that mission. After getting benched in the early season, Young has started to play really well lately, as evidenced by a solid afternoon on the road against the Philadelphia Eagles.
In fact, we should probably say it was more than solid, as Young’s impeccable playmaking on the Panthers’ final drive gave Carolina a real chance at upsetting the NFC’s current second-best team.
Unfortunately, for as good as Young was in probably the finest game of his young career, Panthers receiver Xavier Legette wasn’t up to the task in the clutch. When Young uncorked a beautiful downfield dime to Legette in the final minute — which would’ve given the Panthers the lead and likely upset — the rookie playmaker couldn’t finish the process of the catch.
Oof. What a brutal turn of events:
Oh my goodness…. incomplete.
📺: FOX pic.twitter.com/jiFzpyWSIE
— FOX Sports: NFL (@NFLonFOX) December 8, 2024
Again, the Panthers don’t have anything to play for, so losing here doesn’t mean anything for NFC playoff implications. Still, it hurts to see Legette drop a touchdown on the biggest play of the game and prevent Young from putting a feather in his cap.