KSpan

Your last sentence is completely disingenuous. Having an alternate viewpoint is not attempting to 'prevent you from being happy'. Bryce needs a larger body of work for a definitive assessment either way, full stop, and discussing it all around is completely fair. Deal with it.

Yup. The excuses/rationale that folks made for Bryce in recent weeks apply for Penix today - drops, missed kicks, and defense. Game would have gone the other way with any of those elements absent.

Completely fair, but we know what it took to drag Bryce out of the gutter. Plus, your last sentence goes both ways - is this stretch a mirage or were the first 17 starts? Only time will tell.

What is your point? Consistency makes the best the best - Matt Flynn had a great couple of games once too. Keep Bryce competing and when he continues to show this type of command for more than a game and into the first half of next year, that will be a stronger indicator. Until then, jury is still out. That's all I'm saying.

Alex Smith had an aberrant season with 26 passing TDs the year they drafted Mahomes as well, a.k.a. clear competition. That is an example of why I think Carolina would be remiss to take all competition off the table at this point. Need to keep things rolling strong into next season.

Would be great if they know what they're doing, but competition is what brought him around this time. Hopefully their chosen course of action, whatever that ends up being, continues this trajectory.

For perspective, the Chiefs never got over the hump until they got Mahomes and then got Spagnuolo. Bryce needs to show he is beyond the Alex Smith/Teddy tier of QBs to get past the hump that matters.

Nope, not yet. If things continue this way for the first half of next season though, odds at better.

Think what you like, it's a moot point until next year anyway. I hope that Carolina continues to keep competition for Bryce, as that seems to have been a motivator for him this year. Don't fix what isn't broken.

Nah, Bridgewater had games like this with New Orleans. Atlanta put up no real resistance. Bryce and the offense did exactly what good offenses do in that situation and scored nearly at will, but Atlanta's defense was every bit as atrocious as Carolina's today. Again though, I said that if he continues then I'll be wrong and we all win. It appears a much stronger possibility then it did this time last year. At this point only time will tell.

I was honestly happy to see Canales not get cute. He just kept with what was working and Atlanta didn't stop it. So many coaches outthink themselves and lose games; Canales did not do that today.

Eh, I don't think he is at that stage yet. But IMO he did rapidly move toward that Bridgewater/Smith tier that I thought was his ceiling. If this growth continues and this type of performance can come against quality defenses then he could surpass that, I would be wrong, and everyone gets to watch more winning football.

Yup. First time the offense has truly closed it out during this back stretch of games against a team that was supposedly trying (AZ and Kyler absolutely gave that game away). Had the chance at the end of regulation but bounced back. Nice to see and a hecl of a day for the offense overall.

Man do I hate lining up in the shotgun on the 1 yard line.

Tremble and a hurdle over no one, a truly iconic pair.

Morris going full coward with that sequence there.

Missed opportunity there.

That interception may be the difference in the game, stopping an Atlanta scoring drive.

It's a step for sure and the first time I've really seen it. Atlanta couldn't be making it any easier, but nothing Carolina can do about that. They should be racking up points today and they are, so mission accomplished so far.

Damn, what call a facemask there? Seemed like he barely touched it.

They look every bit as bad as Carolina's. It's really kind of impressive.

Penix has made some more impressive throws today IMO, but this is perhaps Bryce's most complete game of his career. Atlanta keeps giving it and Bryce and the offense just keep taking it. Methodical and playing the game as it unfolds. Canales seems to be keeping it simple and effective as well... don't fix what ain't broke.

Technically, Atlanta allowed themselves no points.

The ghost of Kyle Shanahan lives on in Atlanta.

Gotta be more aware than that, Adam. Couple of rare miscues.