Former NFL player rips 'pathetic' Panthers QB Bryce Young to shreds

Mark Schlereth says the Saints dared Bryce Young to win, and he lost.

Nov 9, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) hands the ball off during the first quarter against the New Orleans Saints at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

The NFL world hasn't let up on Carolina Panthers QB Bryce Young, and understandably so. He had one of the worst outings of his NFL career on Sunday against the league's worst team, with a chance to go to 6-4 and really get into the playoff hunt. He was inaccurate, turnover-prone, and just bad.

The latest criticism comes from someone who had a very close look at how Young played. Former NFL player Mark Schlereth was on the call for Saints-Panthers Sunday, so he saw every single snap Young took, and he did not hold back in his assessment.

Mark Schlereth claims Saints weren't remotely scared of Bryce Young

Nov 9, 2025; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) looks to pass during the third quarter against the New Orleans Saints at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

The New Orleans Saints were not going to let Rico Dowdle beat them. They sold out to make him as ineffective as possible, putting the ball in Bryce Young's hands to win the game. Despite chances, Young came up short most every time.

I don’t think this is off-base at all. https://t.co/TWJGjjr7qv

— Mike Kaye (@mike_e_kaye) November 12, 2025

Schlereth said, "What that was is, 'We're going to give you one-on-one opportunities outside the numbers, and we don't think your quarterback can handle it. We don't think your quarterback's good enough to beat us.'"

He added that the one-win Saints went on the road and dared Young to step up without Rico Dowdle, and he couldn't. "Your quarterback does not have what it takes to beat us," Schlereth went on. "That's exactly what they said. They were 100% correct. That passing game was pathetic."

Whether it was an issue with the game plan not being able to adjust to what the Saints were doing or an inability for Young to complete passes when necessary, the passing offense was as bad as it's been in a while. Considering the circumstances, it might've been the worst passing attack all year.

Young came in having won four starts in a row, and the Panthers were unbeaten at home with him under center. Against the worst team in the NFL, Carolina had no answers on offense, and it starts with Young. Dowdle was ineffective, but that's because the Saints went all-out on him, and Young couldn't pick up the slack this time.

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