The New England Patriots will get their first glimpse of a young NFC quarterback this weekend.
Bryce Young leads the Carolina Panthers into Gillette Stadium to face the Patriots in a battle of 1-2 teams. The former No. 1 overall pick has endured an erratic start to his NFL career, but New England’s defense isn’t taking him lightly.
Patriots defensive tackle Milton Williams praised Young’s abilities ahead of Sunday’s Week 4 matchup.
“The quarterback, jitterbug back there,” Williams told reporters on Thursday. “He can make all the plays. He can make all the throws. We just have to have everybody on the same page to stop the running game and try to contain the quarterback as much as we can.”
Young also complimented New England’s defense on Thursday, particularly a front seven that has anchored the NFL’s second-ranked rushing defense.
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“Really good group. They’re playing really well,” Young said. “That front is playing really well, playing with a lot of tenacity. The entire box is doing a great job. Same thing in the back end, too. They’re doing a really good job of communicating, executing. I think they’re playing really high-level football right now.”
The Patriots haven’t faced an overly mobile quarterback this season, but that will change when Williams and Co. combat Young. The 24-year-old registered 40 rushing yards in Week 1 and scored on the ground during last Sunday’s 30-0 win over the Atlanta Falcons.
However, Young remains a work in progress as a passer. He’s posted four passing touchdowns, three interceptions and just 5.3 yards per attempt through three games after notching an 82.2 quarterback rating last season.
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New England will look to keep Young in check when hosting Carolina this Sunday at 1 p.m. ET.
