Bryce Young said more in two minutes following loss to Saints than Panthers did in 60

The story is different every time the Carolina Panthers lose. Sometimes, it's coaching (like it probably was today). Other times, it's bad execution on offense. Other times, the defense crumbles.

But the person taking responsibility for the losses is usually the same, and it's almost always Bryce Young. The quarterback gets all the blame, fairly or not, but Young always takes the blame.

While he was referencing the horrible and often ill-timed penalties, Young's postgame comments speak to the larger issue here. Young himself took accountability for the penalties, despite not being responsible for even a single one.

Watch Bryce Young speak to the media. https://t.co/KcjStv3iEr
— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) December 15, 2025

"As a leader, I take accountability for that. We want to make sure we're playing clean, playing smart... gotta turn the page. I take full accountability for it, but it is what it is," the QB said (1:40 mark above).

This is usually what happens after a loss. Young says he has to be better. On occasion, that's true. Not this time, though. He didn't turn the ball over, didn't miss any egregious throws, and generally didn't make a single mistake.

You could point to two potential faults. First, he was off by a few inches on a potential touchdown throw near the end of the half, but that's still a ball that Tetairoa McMillan had in his hands. It's a ball he should have caught.

Dec 14, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) passes the ball to Carolina Panthers running back Rico Dowdle (5) during the second quarter against the New Orleans Saints at Caesars Superdome. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images | Stephen Lew-Imagn Images

Second, he took a sack on the would-be game-winning drive, but again, it was really just that the Saints got pressure pretty quickly and Young couldn't bail out like he'd done so many times before. Hard to fault him there, either.

In general, Young assumes responsibility for every loss and usually, though not today, claims to be the reason the Panthers lost. But that's often not the case, and it wasn't today.

Had Dave Canales called a better game, Young would've had a better stat line. He was on today, and when he's on, there's no excuse not to let it ride.

He's not the one committing endless penalties, especially foolish late hits, one of which pushed the Saints into field goal range with time winding down.

Young's not the one calling run plays all the time and getting three yards, or the one abandoning the run when it might've actually been smart to use it in the two-minute drill.

The quarterback isn't out there on defense, leaving receivers open in the zone for the game-tying score, nor is he the one getting beat again by Chris Olave for the tying score (Jaycee Horn).

Those are the biggest reason the Panthers lost today, not the quarterback. Fans may point to a middling statline and the fact that the Panthers lost a must-win game against a three-win team, but Young's not responsible, even if he'd like to say he is.

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