Welcome to the first volume of The End Zone Report, where I talk about anything and everything football. In today’s report we are talking about Bryce Young, the NFL’s top five receivers, and Kyler Murray.
The Carolina Panthers are 1-3, and their new starting quarterback is Andy Dalton. Bryce Young has thrown three interceptions and zero touchdowns and is looking like a backup quarterback for a JV high school football team right now. The former number one overall pick has been benched. The thing is, the Panthers have every reason to sit Young. He’s been gifted with new receiving weapons in Diontae Johnson, Xavier Leggette and Ja’Tavion Sanders. Young is also protected by a rock solid O-Line. Yet, he’s still struggling to produce.
Let’s take this back to the beginning. Coming out of Alabama, Bryce Young was a stud. With a small stature of six feet tall and 194 pounds, he didn’t utilize physical abilities to win games. His numbers, on the other hand, were anything but small. In his sophomore year, he won the Heisman award, passing for 4,872 yards and 47 touchdowns.
Young was drafted with the first pick in the 2023 NFL draft, and the expectations for him were sky-high. He largely underperformed in his rookie season, and those struggles have continued into this season. While there is mass outcry to reinstate Young into his starting position, I disagree. Nobody ever said that Bryce Young would be benched forever. His replacement, Andy Dalton, is 36-years-old with fragile knees, elbows and ribs. This could be the best thing for Young’s development in the long term. He has the intangibles to be a quality NFL starting quarterback… he just hasn’t put it all together yet.
Enough about Bryce Young, let’s talk about a completely different offensive position. It’s time to rank the top five wide receivers in the NFL. Pulling the weight of the list at number one, Justin Jefferson is the best receiver in the NFL. His blend of route-running, pass-catching and athleticism is of the highest echelon. On top of that, his celebrations are unmatched. Just check out this 97 yard touchdown Jefferson dialed up against the 49ers.
The second best wide receiver in the NFL is Tyreek Hill, followed closely by Ceedee Lamb at number three. Hill recorded 1,799 receiving yards last year while Lamb had a comparable 1,749 yards. However, their skill sets are far from similar. Hill is an athletic freak, with a 40-yard-dash time of 4.29 seconds. Lamb is a skill player, who prides himself on his route-running and large strides.
Rounding out the top five, Ja’Marr Chase clocks in at number four and at number five AJ Brown finally makes an appearance. Chase isn’t scaring anybody with his size; he stands six foot tall and weighs 205 pounds. He does his damage with his intangibles. Chase is a deep-ball expert, with a vertical leap of 41 inches and a myriad of big plays for the Bengals. AJ Brown is a completely different player. He’s not as flashy as Chase or as fast as Hill, but he gets the job done. Along with his staggering numbers, Brown is known for his ability to juke out defenders and create space to catch passes.
In contrast to Young, one quarterback is largely outperforming expectations. Kyler Murray has been firing on all cylinders this season. Murray has 635 yards to go along with five touchdowns, and he’s led the Cardinals for the first three games of the season.
Coming into this year, the media attention in Arizona was largely about their new, shiny rookie, Marvin Harrison Jr. The fact is, a wide receiver can only go as far as their quarterback can take them. Kyler Murray is definitely making use of his new weapon and the Cardinals offense has been electric. While this may come as a surprise to some, experienced NFL fans always knew Kyler had it in him. He’s been quiet the past few years, after dealing with injuries and an overall lack of weapons. However, in his first few years with Arizona he put up insane numbers and garnered All-Pro votes due to his skillset.
As much as a quarterback can unlock a receiver, the same can be said for the other way around. Murray has never had a receiver with the skills of Harrison, and this could completely change his passing game. We have already seen the way Harrison attacks gaps and crevices in opposing defenses, now it’s on Murray to find him there. Call me crazy, but I think the Cardinals have a good chance to win the NFC West this year.
This wraps up the first volume of The End Zone Report. Keep a look out for the next one.
