Pats Pulpit
Sunday will mark the 32nd start of Bryce Young’s career in the NFL. It has not been an overly successful one in terms of wins — the Carolina Panthers are just 7-24 with him at the helm — but that does not mean the former first overall draft pick is not a quarterback capable of making the necessary plays to lead his team to victory.
And with Young, those plays can take many forms. For the New England Patriots, the one element of his game that stands out, however, is his ability to extend plays.
“The quarterback, jitterbug back there,” said defensive tackle Milton Williams. “He can make all the plays. He can make all the throws. We just have to have everybody on the same page to stop the running game and try to contain the quarterback as much as we can.”
So far this season, Young has carried the ball seven times in non-kneel-down situations. The sample size may be small, but the results speak for themselves: he gained 52 yards on those plays for an average 7.4 yards per run, and also found the touchdown once in a 30-0 beatdown of the Atlanta Falcons last Sunday.
And while Young may have been a bit hit or miss as a passer so far this year, his scrambling skills and ability to keep plays alive is nothing the Patriots are taking lightly. Just look at it from this perspective: Young is ranked 27th in the league with a total of -14.65 expected points added per pass play, but 13th with an EPA of 3.07 in rushing situations.
“Super talented guy. Y’all got to see the tape,” said Williams. “He can make all the plays a quarterback can make. The biggest thing is going to be getting him on the ground. Feel like he one of the best at escaping. He’s a smaller dude, so you just got to be be ready for him to try to shake you when you get there. Coach has been harping on us, making sure we take the extra step and get him on the ground.”
Williams and the Patriots’ defensive line will be put to the test through Young’s escapability. However, the challenge extends beyond those tasked to containing him.
“It’s really all 11,” explained cornerbacks coach Justin Hamilton. “It’s the rush — whether that be the upfront guys, whether that be blitzers — and then the coverage piece where the down is basically never over. You just have to assume that he’s going to be back there moving around and extending plays. If he doesn’t, he doesn’t. But I think the hardest thing for a DB to just maintain eye discipline, to have my eyes where they’re supposed to be on my coverage.
“At some point, you have a mental clock that says this play should be over by now. And the receiver’s still moving around. So, then that has to tell me, ‘I can’t look to see.’ It has to tell...
