Panthers QB Bryce Young (Post-Game Transcript)
On his 3rd-and-11 completion to WR Xavier Legette on the final drive:
“Yeah, just trying to do everything we can to keep the game alive. He did a great job. And I got through a few reads, just trying to make a play, start a second play after that. Again, great job from the O-line. You think about running, you think it’s the O-line’s fault. It’s not. The reason I was able to scramble was because of them, and then a great job in scramble response. Just trying to keep the game alive at that point, make a play, and [WR Xavier Legette] did a great job of finding open space.”
On conversations he’s had with WR Xavier Legette about Legette’s confidence:
“I haven’t had any sort of lack in confidence. Nothing like that. It’s a part of the game. It’s a tough game. It’s a competitive field. So, I know he knows I always believe in him. I always know he’s going to make the next one. I am always going to have faith in that. Again, I see how hard he works, the type of guy he is. He’s great for us, great in the locker room. It’s tough. We all miss things.”
On how he keeps WR Xavier Legette’s confidence high:
“Just make sure that I know to reinforce it with telling him, but also with showing him and demonstrating. I’m going to keep throwing him the ball. Again, I trust him in every situation. That’s not going to change. There are the words, “I believe in you,” but there’s going to be action behind it. [WR Xavier Legette] X is a great player with a super bright future, and I have all the confidence in the world in him.”
On what needs to be done to be to win close games going forward:
“Just execute. Just execute at the highest level. We respect the team we just played. The Eagles, a really good team. Especially when you get a team like that, we knew it was going to take everything. It was going to take execution at the highest level. And we wear that as a team, as a unit, as a group, as an entire team. We didn’t get it done. It’s on all of us. There are zero individuals. I look in the mirror individually, and then we all have that mindset. It’s just execution. I think we know that we’re comfortable in these games. We know we’re comfortable in these moments. It’s just finding a way. And I feel like that’s the league. Finding a way to win. And obviously this is a tough one, but there’s no other team I’d rather be going through this with.”
On Eagles QB Jalen Hurts finding success and if he sees a blueprint in that:
“I have a ton of respect for [Eagles QB] Jalen [Hurts]. Obviously, been with Alabama. And throughout the league, I’ve always followed his career, how he’s carried himself on and off the field. I have a ton of respect for him, for the player he is, from watching film. But to be honest, I kind of just try to run my own race, keep my head down, control what I can control, focus on that. And again, I’m not a big external motivation guy. So, again, I have all the respect in the world for Jalen. Amazing player, amazing person. For me, I just try to focus on being the best version of myself.”
On if he feels hopeful after playing in competitive games with two of the leagues’ best teams in the last few weeks:
“Like you said, there are no participation trophies, no consolation. But it does give us confidence to know that – [Panthers Head] Coach [Dave Canales] says it all the time, it’s about us. When we’re executing, we’re at our best. We are able to just focus on that. And again, it’s not a consolation for today, but it gives us some stuff on film to build off of. The opportunity to identify things we’re doing well, how we continue to do it, how we build off of it, and the same mindset of how we can improve on things. So I think just being in that headspace, it’s good for growth. But now it’s on us to make sure we actually grow and take those steps.”