The Carolina Panthers repeated their 2021 history by creating a three-game win streak. But in their Week 7 13-6 victory over the New York Jets, the Panthers have just been dealt a massive blow. Starting quarterback Bryce Young is out with an ankle injury.

Late in the third quarter, Bryce took a sack from Jets’ defensive tackle Jowon Briggs and lost 12 yards. In that play, Briggs’ cleats made contact with Young’s ankle. The quarterback left the field to get checked out and ended up going to the locker room. Backup quarterback Andy Dalton filled in for Young and went 4/7 for 60 yards while taking one sack for the loss of 9 yards.

In the post-game presser, Panthers’ head coach David Canales shared a short update on Young’s status. “Bryce, we’re evaluating him for the right ankle. We’re taking all the information, and we’re gonna look at him when we get home some more and see where we’re at.”

Before getting injured, Bryce Young went 15-of-25 for 138 yards and scored the only touchdown of the game (both teams included). The sack that sidelined him was the only one he took in the game. Young also added 10 yards to the ground game, and star running back Rico Dowdle led the game with 79 rushing yards.

While the Panthers looked poised and in control throughout the game, their opponents were noticeably worse for wear. After this game, the Jets find themselves grasping for answers.

The Jets’ struggles in Bryce Young’s victory

After Week 7, the Jets continue to be the only winless franchise. Starting quarterback Justin Fields managed to get himself a 59.7 QB rating by going 6-of-12 for 46 yards in his brief outing. Fields also took three sacks and lost 21 yards in the process. But as Fields took a particularly massive hit from the Panthers’ defense in the first half and went to get checked, backup quarterback Tyrod Taylor took over. And that’s how the lineup stayed.

In place of Fields, Taylor completed 10 passes out of 22 attempts and logged 126 passing yards while taking 3 sacks. Taylor threw the game’s only two interceptions, but overall managed to help the offense get a little momentum. Post-game, Aaron Glenn was asked about his decision to bench Fields in favor of Taylor. In response, coach Glenn simply offered a four-word answer.

“We needed a spark.”

The irony? After their Week 6 loss, Aaron Glenn was asked if he would consider benching Justin Fields. At the time, the head coach stood firm in his decision to keep Fields as the QB1. Now, the equation has shifted. After losing to Bryce Young and Co., Glenn was asked who would lead under center for Week 8. For now, he has left that matter up in the air.

The Panthers now go 4-3 into Week 8 to face the Buffalo Bills. For them, the storyline to watch will be the severity of Bryce Young’s injury. As for the Jets and their next clash with the Cincinnati Bengals, it looks like a tough road ahead without a formula for victory.