Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young endured perhaps the most painful showing of the year in 2023. One year older and getting another crack at it, the pressure on Young to deliver in 2024 is intense.

However, while many have already written off the quarterback, not all is lost. He has a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to set his family up for generations. As Slim Shady would say, he can’t miss his opportunity.

Here’s three ways Young can optimize his odds of success this season while in a difficult spot.

Block out the haters

First and foremost, the first key for Young is to block out the noise. In other words, he needs to ignore social media. Even if he needs to put the phone on airplane mode for the entire season, he needs to put himself in a bubble as much as possible. If he can do that, he has a strong chance to grow some confidence within himself. Once he has confidence, his play will improve. However, if he buys into the national sentiment, he is doomed to play into the prophecy.

Play conservatively

At this point, the Panthers need to get comfortable with playing in close games. If they can get more comfortable with that than their opponents, they will win more games. Teams don’t simply morph into units that blowout teams overnight. Last year, the Panthers struggled to get two wins. This year, they should simply do all in their power to keep games as close as possible. If there’s a lead, keep it, but don’t look for the blowout win. At this point, any winning at all would be an upgrade.

For Young, this means checking the ball down more. It also means audibling into runs if a defense looks confusing. Three yards is better than an interception or an incompletion. Longer drives shorten the game, which automatically keeps the game closer and the pressure on the opponent as much as the Panthers. This would be an upgrade, even if Carolina doesn’t win the game the first few times in this situation.

Don’t panic with a slow start

Overall, Young needs to be patient. If the Panthers start 1-3 and he panics, the season will be over before the first leaves fall. Even worse, it could start a tailspin that looks the same as 2023. If that happens again, the Panthers likely will be ready to turn the page at quarterback.

However, if the 2024 season takes the shape of a slow start and a midseason rally but Young still misses the playoffs, the narrative changes. Suddenly, the Panthers would have hope going into 2025, which automatically gives Young another season to build some momentum.

All it takes is a fun month for the fanbase to create a five-year career. If Young can do better than that, then his next goal will be earning a breakout new contract instead of a roster spot on another team.

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