Young, Smith-Njigba Earn Praise After Standout Week 2 Showings
Bryce Young and Jaxon Smith-Njigba each accounted for three touchdowns in Week 2 victories, performances that led Rob Gronkowski and Julian Edelman to single them out as their "Employees of the Week" on FOX Sports' "Gronk & Jules."
Young completed 23 of 36 passes for 287 yards and three touchdowns, including two to Darren Waller, as the Carolina Panthers routed the Atlanta Falcons 34-3. He did not turn the ball over. The performance followed a Week 1 outing in which Young threw for 361 yards in a 59-37 loss to the Chicago Bears. "I think Bryce Young had an unbelievable game," Edelman said. "Doesn't make too many self-inflicting mistakes. He'll take what the defense gives him. He hits the big opportunity when they give him the big opportunity. He's been really fun to watch, and he's coming into his own." Edelman added that Young has improved weekly, calling his production notable "for 5'10 at quarterback." germany kreisliga a women
Gronkowski traced Young's progress back to his 2024 benching, when head coach Dave Canales replaced him with Andy Dalton after an 0-2 start. "The benching was totally accurate," Gronkowski said. "It was necessary, and everyone thought there was no argument to the benching." He said Dalton's stint as starter "kind of lit a spark" and argued Young has since become "the quarterback that the Carolina Panthers have wanted Bryce Young to be since that benching," adding that he "gets better every year."
In Seattle, Smith-Njigba caught nine passes for 155 yards and a career-high three touchdowns in a 31-7 win over the Arizona Cardinals - the first three-touchdown game of his career. Drew Lock, starting in place of Sam Darnold, who was sidelined by a gluteus injury, threw all three touchdowns to Smith-Njigba, including an 82-yard connection on Seattle's opening pass attempt of the game. "I'm going to go with JSN," Gronkowski said. "He had nine catches, 155 yards. He had three touchdowns, which is a career best for him. He proved once again why he was offensive player of the year and that it wasn't a mistake. The voters got it right." Gronkowski also credited Smith-Njigba's Week 1 touchdown against New England as pivotal to Seattle's win in that game, noting the Seahawks have now won 12 straight games including the postseason.
Edelman highlighted the receiver's route-running as the key to his production. "He's just a really smooth route runner, and he outruns people," Edelman said. "This guy just outruns people, and he's smooth with it. He doesn't move his body when he cuts." Gronkowski agreed, saying defenders struggle to anticipate his breaks: "You think that's his out route, and then boom, he just breaks up again. He's one of the hardest players to defend in all of football."
Both players return to action in Week 3. Young and the Panthers travel to face the Cleveland Browns, while Smith-Njigba and the Seahawks visit the Washington Commanders.
