The Carolina Panthers beat the Atlanta Falcons 30-27 in overtime on Sunday, moving to 6-5. They have now swept the season series against their division rivals and are a half-game behind the Tampa Bay Buccaneers for the NFC South lead. Bryce Young made Panthers history during the game, passing Cam Newton for the most passing yards in a game in franchise history.
“Bryce Young has reset the Panthers' single-game passing record with 448 yards today. Record was 432 from Cam Newton in 2011,” Greg Auman of Fox Sports reported.
Young needed overtime to break the record, but broke it nonetheless. Tetairoa McMillan was his top target, with eight catches for 130 yards and two touchdowns. Young also went into the locker room with an injury, but did not miss any time. That was a sigh of relief for the Panthers, who are trying to assess the number-one overall pick this season.
The Falcons are now 3-7 and likely out of playoff contention despite some great individual performances. This Young performance, paired with a Tampa Bay Buccaneers loss to the Buffalo Bills, puts Carolina in the playoff conversation. Their defense has improvements to make, but the offense has been clicking of late.
The Panthers hit the road for a meaningful November primetime game next week. They face the San Francisco 49ers on Monday Night Football with the entire country watching. If Young can follow up this performance with another strong one, the conversation around the Alabama product will change dramatically.
Young has also created a solid connection with Xavier Legette, a first-round pick from 2024. With two first-rounders catching passes and a revamped running game with Rico Dowdle, the Panthers have surprised people on offense. But the 49ers are a different challenge, even with all of their injuries. A franchise record is a great start, but Young can enter a new conversation next week.
