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Carolina Panthers Rookie Quarterback Bryce Young to Miss Week 3

Rookie quarterback Bryce Young is nursing an ankle injury, and he’s not expected to start for the Carolina Panthers against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 3. Backup quarterback and veteran Andy Dalton will start for the Panthers if Young does not suit up against the Seahawks.

Panthers Bryce Young
Quarterback Bryce Young, seen here calling an audible against the New Orleans Saints in Week 2, will miss time with an ankle injury. (Image: Getty)

The Panthers traded up in the 2023 NFL Draft to acquire the #1 pick from the Chicago Bears to specifically select Young with the first pick. Young, who played his collegiate ball with the Alabama Crimson Tide, was the top quarterback prospect in the draft. The Panthers were excited to rebuild their team and reboot the franchise around Young.

The Panthers were 7-10 last season, and three different quarterbacks started games for them in 2022. Sam Darnold went down with an injury in the preseason, and Baker Mayfield began the season at quarterback. P.J. Walker started five games after Mayfield suffered a high ankle sprain. Mayfield returned as the starter in Week 11, but was eventually cut.

Frank Reich took over as head coach after the Panthers failed to produce a winning season under former head coach Matt Rhule, who was fired last October after a 1-4 start.

Reboots take time, and the Panthers began the season 0-2. They’re currently in last place in the NFC South.

Young Struggled Before Ankle Injury

The Panthers were outscored 44-27 though Week 2. Their 17-point differential is the second-worst in the NFC.

“Our struggle on offense, it’s not one person,” said Reich. “It’s not that far away,” said a confident Reich. “It looks bad, but I don’t believe it’s that far away.”

The Panthers scored only 10 points in Young’s NFL debut against the Falcons in Atlanta in Week 1. Young played like a rookie and looked lost in his first pro game. He completed 20-for-36 passes for 146 yards. He tossed one touchdown but also threw two interceptions and was sacked twice.

In Week 2, the Panthers scored 17 points in a 20-17 loss against the Saints in their home debut in Charlotte on Monday Night Football. Young completed 22-for-33 passes for 153 yards and one touchdown. He avoided throwing an interception, but was sacked four times. He added 34 rushing yards on two scrambles.

Obviously we didn’t do enough offensively,” said Young after the loss to the Saints. “Their defense definitely got the best of us.”

Young sustained an ankle injury in the first half, but he did not inform the medical staff or his coaches and remained in the game.

Young did not practice this week, and all signs point toward that he’ll sit out Week 3. If he bounces back from his ankle injury, Young will return in Week 4 when the Panthers host the Minnesota Vikings.

Young has the second-worst passing rating in the NFL at 66.6. He’s ranked #27 in ESPN’s Total QBR with 35.5.

“I know how hard it is to play that position,” added Reich. “I’ve been around it a long time and I know how dependent it is on everything.”

Andy Dalton Ready to Start for Panthers

The Panthers want to protect Young, which is why they’re taking a cautious approach and will let his ankle injury heal instead of rushing him back into the lineup. The Panthers played on Monday Night Football and have one less day to prep for this week’s road game against the Seahawks. Reich will turn to Dalton to start instead of Young.

“This is Bryce’s thing,” Dalton told The Athletic. “I’m not here to make this a competition, make this anything. I’m here to help the team.”

The Panthers signed Dalton in the off-season to mentor Young, and as an overall insurance policy. Dalton, a former star with the Cincinnati Bengals, started 162 games during 12 seasons in the NFL. He has a 83-77-2 record as a starter and started 14 games for the New Orleans Saints last season.

Dalton is widely considered one of the best backup quarterbacks in the NFL, along with Gardner Minshew from the Indianapolis Colts. Minshew will start for the Colts in Week 3 because rookie quarterback Anthony Richardson suffered a concussion in Week 2.

AD’s still got it,” said Panthers center Bradley Bozeman. “The Ginger Cat has been rocking and rolling this whole time and that is why he is here. He’s a great leader and no matter who is in at quarterback, whether it is him or Bryce, they are going to be ready.”

“I’m just going out there and trying to be as efficient as I can,” added Dalton.

Dalton was 6-8 as a starter for the Saints last season when Jameis Winston went down with a back injury. Dalton completed 66.7% of his passes for 2,871 yards and 18 touchdowns and nine interceptions.

Betting the 0-2 Panthers

The Tampa Bay Bucs won the NFC South last season with a losing record, which seemed fitting because it was one of the worst divisions in the NFL. After Tom Brady retired, the Bucs were no longer the team to beat in the NFC South.

The Panthers (0-2) are in last place in the division. But the Bucs, Atlanta Falcons, and New Orleans Saints are in a three-way tie for first place with a 2-0 record.

The winless Panthers are 0-1-1 against the point spread this season. They pushed last week’s game against the Saints as a +3 home underdog.

The Panthers opened Week 3 as a +4.5 road underdog versus the Seahawks. Early money backed the Seahawks, and the Panthers are now a +6 dog.

The Seahawks are 1-1 straight up and 1-1 ATS. They lost their home opener against the Los Angeles Rams in Week 2, but bounced back with a 37-31 road victory against the Detroit Lions in Week 2.

Oddsmakers installed the Panthers with a win total of 7.5 over/under in the preseason. After losing two games to start the season, the Panthers have an adjusted win total of 5.5 o/u.

The Panthers are a long shot to make the playoffs at +700 odds, and they’re a favorite to miss the postseason at -1200 odds.

The Saints are the favorite to win the NFC South at +115 odds, followed by the Falcons (+175), Bucs (+400), and Panthers (+2200).

The Panthers are a long shot to win Super Bowl LVIII at +20000 odds. The Panthers are the next-to-last team at the bottom of the futures board to win the NFC Championship at +10000 odds.

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Fantasy Football: Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Jordan Addison Among Top Rookie WRs

Jaxon Smith-Njigba from the Seattle Seahawks, Jordan Addison from the Minnesota Vikings, and Zay Flowers from the Baltimore Ravens are among the top rookie wide receivers to keep close tabs on during your upcoming fantasy football draft.

Seahawks rookie WR Jaxon Smith-Njigba
Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, seen here running an out route in a preseason game against the Dallas Cowboys, is one of the top incoming rookies this season. (Image: Getty)

If you play in a large fantasy football league with 12 or more teams, then you’ll have no choice but to add a rookie or two to fill out your roster.

The NFL has evolved into a pass-first league, which is why wide receivers have a higher premium than rookie running backs.

Other rookie wide receivers who could make an impact in fantasy football this upcoming season include Quentin Johnston from the Los Angeles Chargers, Rashee Rice from the Kansas City Chiefs, Jalin Hyatt from the New York Giants, Jayden Reed from the Green Bay Packers, Marvin Mims from the Denver Broncos, and Jonathan Mingo from the Carolina Panthers.

Mims could see some action early in the season because the Broncos are short two wide receivers. Tim Patrick sustained an unfortunate, season-ending Achilles injury, and KJ Hamler will miss an unspecified amount of time with a recently diagnosed heart condition.

Jaxon Smith-Njigba (Seahawks)

The Seattle Seahawks selected Jaxon Smith-Njigba with the #20 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. He was the first wide receiver picked in this year’s draft.

Smith-Njigba played his collegiate ball at Ohio State, but he was limited to only three games in 2022 due to a hamstring injury. In 13 games as a sophomore in 2021, Smith-Njigba caught 95 passes for 1,606 yards and nine touchdowns. He also set Ohio State records for most receptions in a game and most receiving yards in a single season.

Smith-Njigba was a slot receiver at Ohio State, which is where he’ll see a lot of action with the Seahawks this season. He will be WR #3 on the Seahawks’ depth chart behind DK Metcalf and Tyler Lockett. Metcalf and Lockett both averaged over 1,000 receiving yards during the previous four seasons, and they combined for 70 touchdowns since 2019.

Smith-Njigba is +1400 odds to win the NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year, according to DraftKings. He’s sixth overall, but the top wide receiver on the awards board.




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Jordan Addison (Vikings)

The Minnesota Vikings selected Jordan Addison with the #23 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. Addison was the fourth wide receiver taken in the draft.

Addison played two seasons with the Pittsburgh Panthers before he transferred to USC to play his junior season. He appeared in 11 games with USC last season, and he caught 69 passes for 875 yards and eight touchdowns.

During the 2021 season with Pittsburgh, Addison was a consensus All-American and won the Fred Biletnikoff Award for the nation’s top wide receiver. He scored 18 touchdowns in 14 games for the Panthers that season.

Addison gets the rare opportunity to learn from the best wide receiver in the NFL this season. Justin Jefferson from the Vikings is the consensus top wide receiver in fantasy football and he’s ranked #1 in all the major fantasy leagues including ESPN, Yahoo, CBS, Fantasy Pros, and the NFL.com.

Veteran wideout Adam Thielen left the Vikings when he bounced in free agency and signed with the Carolina Panthers. Without Thielen, Addison has a chance to start for the Vikings in Week 1 as WR #2.




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Zay Flowers (Ravens)

The Baltimore Ravens selected Zay Flowers with the #22 pick from the 2023 NFL Draft. He earned third-team All-American honors out of Boston College. In 12 games last season, Flowers caught 78 passes for 1,077 yards and 12 touchdowns.

Flowers is currently WR #3 on the Ravens’ depth chart behind third-year wide receiver Rashod Bateman and veteran Odell Beckham, Jr.  Beckham signed with the Ravens in free agency after missing last season recovering from ACL surgery. He blew out his knee while playing for the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl LVI.

The Ravens and quarterback Lamar Jackson finally worked out a contract extension, so there’s no drama entering training camp this season. The Ravens also hired a new offensive coordinator and revamped their passing game, which should benefit Jackson and their wide receivers. Todd Monken led the Georgia Bulldogs to back-to-back college football national championships, and he’s the Ravens’ new OC.

Quentin Johnston (LA Chargers)

Quentin Johnston finds himself in a similar situation with the other top rookies. He’s on a team with two standout wide receivers, which means he’ll have ample opportunity to learn from veterans like Keenan Allen and Mike Williams. As a potential WR #3, Johnston could move up in the depth chart because both Allen and Williams struggled with injuries over the last few seasons.

Johnston is in a unique spot because he plays with a better quarterback than his fellow rookies. Justin Herbert from the Chargers is a better pure passer compared to the quarterbacks who will be throwing the ball to Smith-Njigba, Addison, and Flowers.

The Chargers selected Johnston with a first-round pick from the 2023 NFL Draft, and he was the second wide receiver picked in the draft. Johnston made a huge splash in his first season with TCU when he averaged 22.1 yards per catch, which set a Big 12 freshman record.

During his last two seasons at TCU, Johnston was named to the All-Big 12 first team. In 14 games during his junior year, Johnston caught 60 passes for 1,069 yards and six touchdowns for the Horned Frogs.

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Rookie Mistakes in Poker

Attention all poker players. It is time to ditch those old troublesome habits before they ship your poker chips across the table. I’m going to share with you today the top nine mistakes that make you stand out as a rookie at the poker table. The number nine reason everyone at the table thinks you’re […]

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