Dave Canales gushes over great game from Bryce Young vs. Buccaneers

Once again, the box score wasn't particularly gaudy for Carolina Panthers QB Bryce Young. He was decent, statistically speaking, but that doesn't always tell the whole story about how he played.

He was crisp, had some brutal drops from his receivers, but took good care of the ball and outplayed former Panthers QB Baker Mayfield, who is seemingly always amped to drop 300 and four TDs against the team that he once struggled for.

And of course, most importantly, the Panthers got a vital win over division rival Tampa Bay, making Week 18's contest a win-and-in game for both squads. Afterwards, head coach Dave Canales was effusive in his praise for Young.

Canales on Bryce Young: Took what Bucs gave him. Made the right decisions, throws. pic.twitter.com/eysCSWw5oh
— Joe Person (@josephperson) December 21, 2025

Young made some "critical throws" throughout the game, according to his coach. "Even early on, just a couple of misses, and that one got away from Xavier [Legette]... I thought Bryce was taking what was there and the Bucs did a great job of mixing things up... Bryce just did the right thing with the ball.

Young's stats were:

21/32 passing
192 yards
101.2 rating
0 turnovers
4 carries, 20 yards

Canales lauded Young's ability to extend the play and throw it away when necessary, highlighting how smart the QB played today. It's directly tied to the Panthers' win, especially because the offense as a whole didn't do much.

Overall, they only had 275 total yards, with 101 coming on the ground despite a mediocre day from both Chuba Hubbard and Rico Dowdle. A chunk run from Jimmy Horn Jr. and Young's scrambles helped buoy that number.

Dec 21, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) drops to throw during the second half against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

But the biggest thing was not making the back-breaking mistake that Mayfield made. With a chance to tie or win the game, Mayfield tossed an interception that sealed it. Young never made that sort of throw.

And because of that, the Panthers are alive and well in the division. They're in first place now, but next week's Seattle bout is largely meaningless. It's all about Week 18 in Tampa Bay, and though the Bucs will be favored at home, it's the Panthers who are playing much better ball right now.

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