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AVERAGE GRADE
Panthers QB gets C+ for performance against Browns
USA TODAY NETWORK
Cleveland Browns quarterback Deshaun Watson (4) shakes hands
with Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young (9) after the game
at Huntington Bank Field in Cleveland, Ohio, on Sunday.
SCOTT GALVIN, IMAGN IMAGES
NFL
Any way you try to spin it, quarterback Bryce Young did not have a great game in the Carolina Panthers' 21-18 loss to the Cleveland Browns on Sunday.
Coming in, we knew Young was more likely to struggle against the Browns' manheavy defense than the zone-heavy looks he saw against Chicago and Atlanta to start the season. That proved to be true, and Young's numbers suffered — as he totaled 291 passing yards, but just one touchdown and one interception.
For his efforts, Young has earned an appropriate 'C+' grade for this week from Brent Sobleski at Bleacher Report.
Sobleski writes: Cleveland sacked Young three times and hit him on eight different occasions. The Browns pressured the quarterback on 30 of his 47 dropbacks, according to Syed Schemes' Tej Seth. Carolina struggled significantly in high-leverage situations, too. Young and Co. finished a combined four for 18 during their thirdand fourth-down attempts.
While this was far from Young's best work, the context was pretty brutal.
Not only did Young face a higher pressure rate than any quarterback in any game this season so far, but he was also essentially down his top three wide receivers — with Xavier Legette being ruled out, Tetairoa McMillan getting shut down by Browns cornerback Denzel Ward and Jalen Coker leaving the game early with a quad injury.
Although Brycen Tremayne did his part to step up with a game-high 83 receiving yards, nobody else was able to make a difference at this spot — which contributed to Young's pedestrian production.
The far greater concern is Carolina's pass protection, which was bad during the preseason and has only gotten worse so far in the regular season. Young has to perform better than he did this week, but you can only expect so much when he's under constant duress the way he was on Sunday.
North-carolina
Top StorySpotlight
ACC Football | Power Rankings
ACC Football Power Rankings after Week 4: Duke, Wake Forest on the rise
USA Today Network
Updated
Duke Blue Devils wide receiver Jaivon Solomon (4) scores a
touchdown against the William & Mary Tribe during the second
quarter at Wallace Wade Stadium in Durham on Saturday.
Zachary Taft, Imagn Images
Heading into the season, the ACC was predicted to be a three-team race between Miami, Louisville and SMU. After four weeks, it might still be a three-team race, but only the Hurricanes remain the same, as the Mustangs and Cardinals have dropped off while Duke and Wake Forest have risen to exceed expectations.
That’s not to say Louisville and SMU are dead, but they have both shown question marks, while the Blue Devils are undefeated and the Demon Deacons fought Miami hard in their only loss.
Here are our ACC Power Rankings following Week 4:
1. Miami
The Hurricanes' first real challenge comes this weekend at Clemson.
2. Duke
At 4-0 and ranked No. 21 in the Coaches Poll, Manny Diaz’s squad has already exceeded preseason expectations.
3. Wake Forest
The Demon Deacons played Miami close and then went into Louisville and pulled off the upset victory.
4. Louisville
Special teams continue to kill the Cardinals.
5. SMU
The Mustangs struggled to put away Missouri State on Saturday, not exactly a great sign for a College Football Playoff push.
6. Pitt
The Panthers' four-game stretch to start the season has been a joke of opponents. Now, a real challenge comes at night against Virginia Tech.
7. Clemson
A victory at Cal will make doubters of Dabo Swinney back off a little. A win against Miami this weekend would go a long way in proving the Tigers are for real again.
8. Virginia
A road game at Florida State will make or break the Cavaliers' hopes for reaching the ACC title game for the second straight season.
9. Virginia Tech
The Hokies get a Friday primetime game against Pitt to show what they can do in James Franklin’s first season.
10. Cal
An ugly home loss to Clemson is not something the Golden Bears could afford.
11. North Carolina
Things could get ugly in Chapel Hill against No. 3 Notre Dame this Saturday.
12. Florida State
Mike Norvell must save his job over the next few weeks or the Seminoles will be looking for yet another coach. Could that be Manny Diaz?
13. NC State
The Wolfpack struggled against Appalachian State but won in the end, which is more than they could say a week earlier.
14. Boston College
Playing in a nor’easter is never fun. Scoring 14 points in a loss is even less fun.
15. Stanford
Davis Warren looked like a totally different quarterback in the win against Georgia Tech than he did against Duke, which might mean more about the Yellow Jackets’ defense.
16. Georgia Tech
“Hi, Coach Key? There’s someone from the Hot Seat on the line for you.”
17. Syracuse
You would have to pay me a lot to sit in the stands for the matchup between the Orange and UConn this weekend.
North-carolina
Top StorySpotlight
Duke women's soccer battle tested as championship pursuit continues
USA Today Network
Updated
Duke women's soccer Molly Vapensky makes a diving save
against No. 1 Stanford on Sept. 13.
USA Today Network
Duke women's soccer Jocelyn Travers against VCU on Aug.
30.
USA Today Network
Duke women's soccer faces no shortage of tests in ACC action.
Over their last four games, Kieran Hall's Blue Devils have faced three top-15 opponents in as many games: Stanford, North Carolina and Notre Dame. Duke went 1-1-1 across that stretch, with a 5-0 win over Stanford, a 4-2 loss to UNC and a 1-1 draw with Notre Dame.
"It's been some highs against Stanford, some real lows against UNC, and (Notre Dame) was mixed feelings," Hall said after the tie with the Irish on Sept. 24. "... I think for us, it's about being super self aware and know that if we want to be successful we've got to stick to our identity and be effective with that."
Duke's 5-0 win over then-No. 1 Stanford, which ended Duke's season in last year's College Cup semifinals, opened the stretch on Sept. 13. Avery Oder led the Blue Devils with two goals while Katie Shea Collins, Yuna Marui and Mia Minestrella – who is third in the ACC with 10 goals on the season – each scored a goal. Goalkeeper Molly Vapensky notched her first career shutout.
Then came Duke's road loss to UNC on Sept. 17. The Blue Devils trailed early but scored twice to briefly take a 2-1 lead before the Tar Heels took control with three unanswered goals over the final 20 minutes.
"I just feel like we were swallowed by the environment," Hall said. "It just wasn't a Duke performance against UNC."
Duke responded with a 1-1 tie against then-No. 15 Notre Dame. The Blue Devils found themselves trailing the Irish before Jocelyn Travers provided the response 10 minutes later with her first goal of the season: a left-footed shot from just outside the 18-yard box.
The response reflected the mentality Hall has seen from his team all season.
"(Our identity is) just keep on going, relentless," Travers said. "We went down, but we kept on going, got one back. Just never stop, put 100% effort into everything."
That mentality is an area Vapensky said the Blue Devils have grown in this season.
"We've had some close games, but I think our mentality, it just keeps getting higher and higher," Vapensky said. "That is a strength of our team. We just keep pushing forward no matter what. If we're down a goal, up a goal, we just always keep working together and keep pushing for the next one."
Duke's most recent outing was a 0-0 draw at Pitt on Sept. 27, putting the Blue Devils at 6-1-3 on the year.
The latest stretch has offered lessons. But for a team that has lost in the College Cup semifinals in each of the last two seasons and has its eyes set on a national championship, everything it wants is still in front of it.
"I'm really pleased where the team is at," Hall said. "Trophies aren't handed out at this time of year, trophies are handed out later on in the season. For us, it's not about being perfect right here, right now. But it's about becoming aware of what we need to improve on and how we can grow."
The Blue Devils are back in action at home against California on Oct. 3.
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