Panthers - 23, Saints - 22
Q. How you doing?
BRYCE YOUNG: Blessed, man. How are you doing?
Q. Bryce, how does it feel to take a victory formation snap in the NFL?
BRYCE YOUNG: Feels great. Feels great. You definitely don't take it for granted. It's a great feeling.
Q. Did it hit you that this is the first time you've gone out and been able to take that snap?
BRYCE YOUNG: In the moment, you don't think about it. We're all just trying to execute. But looking back on it, yeah, it's a good thing.
Q. Heading into the last drive, what was going through your mind?
BRYCE YOUNG: Just where else would you rather be? That's all you can ask for, have a chance to take the lead in a drive. That's what we play for. That's what we work for. Especially as an offense, that's all we can ask for. Everyone had that mentality. We lean on each other, play for each other, and we're able to get it done. But it was just, you know, it was a great, great team effort.
Q. Bryce, we know it's been a tough run for you. How much confidence does this give you personally moving forward?
BRYCE YOUNG: You know, I've had the same confidence. My confidence comes from God and comes from the people, my teammates, people around me, people in this building. So it's not going to waver negatively when things weren't going great. After winning, it's not going to go up or down. It's steady where it is. It comes from God and those people in there who work super hard to have a day like this.
Again, there's still stuff to clean up, still stuff to get better at. We'll deal with that at the appropriate time. But confidence definitely doesn't waver.
Q. Bryce, the possession where you guys went three and out, all passes were around the line of scrimmage, you showed a little frustration on the sideline. How important is it to push the ball downfield like you were able to that last possession and you pick up a PI, you get the third and 10 completion to Xavier. The benefit of pushing that ball downfield.
BRYCE YOUNG: You know, it wasn't any frustration about anything specific. I'm a competitor. We're all competitors. Every drive we don't score, we're obviously frustrated about it. Obviously, that's important. But also there's a balance.
I have a ton of respect for Coach Canales as a play caller. He knows exactly what he's doing. So it was no frustration. Anytime you go three and out, you know, it's going to look like it was a bad call or a bad play, whatever it is. They're going to happen. No frustration about that. Just everyone being a competitor.
Q. Bryce, how big of a momentum shift for you in that final drive, hitting X for that 26-yard gain and then going back up to the air and getting the PI?
BRYCE YOUNG: Obviously, chunk plays in a two-minute situation, that's huge. Great job by X creating separation, going up and getting the ball. And a great job up front. I had all day back there. Did an amazing job. It's a team effort, everybody executing, all the routes, the coaches dialing it up. Obviously, it was big to chunk those plays together. And punching it in like we did was great too.
Q. Brady's had a different role in almost every game you've played in this year. For him to step in at left tackle and keep you clean, how big a performance is that for him?
BRYCE YOUNG: It's huge. Exactly what you said. Him having so many different roles and being the guy that never complains, always willing to grow, change. Always being able to be successful where he's at. That's not easy to do in this league.
And, you know, again, I have all the faith in the world in him so I'm glad you brought it up. That definitely doesn't go understated, the ability to go inside, outside. It's huge. The way he played is a reflection of him and how good a player he is, how hard he works.
Q. Talk about throwing the ball downfield. Were you seeing the field better? Seemed like you were more accurate in all your throws. Even the one you got picked off on, the receiver caught it and the cornerback stole it. Were you seeing things different than you had in previous weeks?
BRYCE YOUNG: I wouldn't say that. It was opportunities, just guys around me doing a great job of making plays for me and me giving them a shot. Great play calling. It all ties into stuff. Did some good stuff today. There's still stuff for me to clean up. Obviously, I haven't watched the film yet, but I'll go in with the same perspective, same mindset of trying to grow and see how I can be more efficient in everything.
But it's just each game is going to be different. Each game will require different things. Again, I have all the confidence in the coaches' play calling, people around me. Just trying to be consistent with it. We've got to keep building.
Q. Will you celebrate it?
BRYCE YOUNG: Yeah. I mean, you know, I think, again, it's not easy to win in this league so we give yourself a little grace period to enjoy it. When it's time to obviously lock back in, wheel do that. But there's a little time to --
Q. What are you going to do to celebrate?
BRYCE YOUNG: I don't know yet. Haven't gotten that far. I don't know. I have some family here so we'll probably get some food. So, yeah, we'll see.
Q. Bryce, you have stayed so even-keeled through this, but how do you feel right now? It's a big win. You've been through a lot this year.
BRYCE YOUNG: Yeah, feels great. Anytime you win in this league, that's not something to take for granted. But more so than anything, I'm happy for the guys in that locker room over there. They work so hard. And for us to step to the plate in a moment like this was huge for us. So, again, it's something for us to build off of, keep going. And just be able to experience it with the guys, see them happy is the biggest thing for me.
Q. Bryce, Coach said he hasn't made a decision on who will start next week at quarterback. Do you feel like you've earned that job?
BRYCE YOUNG: That's not my call, not my decision. I'm going to focus on what I can control.
Q. When is the last time you had a game-winning touchdown drive?
BRYCE YOUNG: I don't know. It's probably, like, Googleable. So someone could probably look it up. I don't have, like --
Q. The Iron Bowl?
BRYCE YOUNG: Is that the last one?
Q. I don't know if it's the last one, but it's one of them.
BRYCE YOUNG: I'd have to look it up.
Q. Bryce, if I can follow up on the Brady question, Cade Mays is the third center you've had. He was on a practice squad somewhere else a month ago. For him to step in the way he did as well, what was the communication like there? What was the protection like? What did you see?
BRYCE YOUNG: Obviously, he'd been around us a good amount in the last couple years. But still, like you say, going somewhere else, having to learn our system, come back and thrust in the position he's been thrust in, I think he played amazing, handled all the stuff well.
A lot of the stuff at the center position is stuff you're not going to be able to see watching film without knowing what's going on. Points in the running game, pass game, communication, all that stuff, it's a tough job. I think things went really smoothly with him. He saw everything. We got making quick points.
So, you know, again, that's credit to him. Super, super hard worker. Great dude just coming in with that mindset. He was ready to step up to the plate. It was great seeing him do that.
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports