If history is any guide, whether it's a game or a season, Bryce turns it up a level towards the end. He's like Seabiscuit (an undersized racehorse, go figure); he just needs to be neck and neck with his opponent on the home stretch, and then he'll lead the team to victory. So if that's the kind of player he is, then he needs to over-perform now.
Setting franchise records is cool and all, but I think we all know he's not the kind of QB who's going to have us up by 2 or 3 scores at any point during the game. So if he's a closer, and that's his identity, then in order for Bryce to be considered our QB of the future, an outcome like your first scenario is what we have to see now.