Bryce Young is facing intense scrutiny after being benched following his Week 2 performance. While some feel the decision was harsh, others believe it was long overdue for the former first-overall pick from Alabama. One such opinion-holder is NFL analyst Stephen A. Smith, who went so far as to label the quarterback the league’s “biggest bust.”
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During an appearance on ‘NFL with ESPN’, Smith discussed the 23-year-old’s stats with the panel. He quoted how, in the last 10 games, the Panthers could only lead for 10 seconds. Calling it an “atrocity,” he further elaborated on Young’s performance:
“We’re looking at Bryce Young right now. You’re talking about among 32 quarterbacks with at least 250 attempts: his record is 2 and 16 (win and loss) — worst in the NFL, 59.3% completion percentage, dead last, 173.50 passing yards per game, 31 of 32 quarterbacks, that’s where he ranks.”
Smith even compared the second-year QB to JaMarcus Russell, whom the analyst isn’t a fan of, and remarked that the former Raider wasn’t as bad as Young.
“Ladies and gentlemen, JaMarcus Russell wasn’t even that bad, and you know how I felt about JaMarcus Russell. I mean, this is maybe the biggest bust in NFL history.”
The Panthers have lost their first two games against the Saints and Chargers. Their decision to hand over the reins to Andy Dalton comes at the right time and with hopes of a comeback. Head coach Dave Canales made the announcement on Monday.
“This is the best decision for our group moving forward,” he said as per USA Today. “Andy Dalton gives us the best chance… I watched the film. Ultimately, this falls on me. I feel this is the best decision to help the Panthers win.”
That said, Young’s benching has reminded the NFL world of everything wrong with the Panthers. Be it the trade, the coach, or the ownership, all are currently under high scrutiny.
Carolina Panther’s management under fire after Young’s benching
As the conversation progressed on ‘NFL with ESPN,’ Smith wasn’t shy of putting a lens on the team’s structural issues. The leading analyst argued that while Young is getting all the hate and blame for his poor performance, one needs to look at the team’s internal problems as well.
Smith, therefore, went on to criticize owner David Tepper for firing Frank Reich after just 11 games.
“Your new coach, the ownership has been a disaster, no cohesion, no structure whatsoever. He’s been put in an absolutely awful spot. Frank Wright was supposed to be a guy that was gonna turn things around; he got fired after 11 games. We saw all of this, and we know it’s not him (Bryce Young), it’s not just him.”
However, there remained one factor that Smith couldn’t deny — Young’s short stature. The quarterback stands at 5’10” weighing 204 lb, the lightest QB to be picked in round 1 since 2006. Smith further relayed the story about the time he met Young in person.
“So we know how slim I am, you understand. This brother looked smaller than me and was at least three inches shorter than me. I looked at him and I could not believe how tiny he was,” Smith recalled.
“And I’m like how in God’s name is he going to be able to succeed on the NFL level? And here we are with a year and two games of evidence. It’s just very, very, very bad. He probably needs to go to a new situation,” he continued.
Now with Andy Dalton at the forefront of the team, the Carolina Panthers hope to win their first showdown this year against the Raiders on Sep 23.
