Five quarterbacks have passed for 400-something yards in a single game this season.

Only one of them has managed to win said game: Carolina's Bryce Young in Week 11 against Atlanta.

The third-year Panthers QB, who notched fewer than 200 yards in eight of his first nine games this season, was 31-for-45 passing with 448 yards, three touchdowns and zero interceptions in a 30-27 OT victory Sunday vs. a Falcons defense that entered the day allowing 146.1 net passing yards per game.

We're getting away from the point, which is this: belief and patience in Young has done wonders – for the quarterback's development, first and foremost, but also for the state of the 6-5 NFC South franchise.

And there are lessons in Young's unique QB journey that are applicable to Vikings starter J.J. McCarthy.

After veteran wide receiver Adam Thielen told Twin Cities media members "Look at what Bryce is doing now" on Monday afternoon, Alec Lewis of The Athletic delved into the nuances of McCarthy's situation.

Lewis noted similarities between McCarthy and Young: both Top 10 picks (Young 1^st overall in 2023 and McCarthy 10^th in 2024); both accomplished in college (Young the 2021 Heisman Trophy winner and McCarthy the starting QB of the 2023 CFP National Champions); and both turned pro with high expectations.

The contrasts are equally if not more obvious: totally different "superpowers" and team circumstances.

Lewis' angle, though, that a huge payoff is possible by sticking to the process – leaning into McCarthy's growth despite his growing pains – is well supported and an experience Thielen can relate to because he served as Young's favorite target from 2023-24. Now, Thielen is helping guide McCarthy amidst adversity.

"I'm sure he's leaning on a ton of experience from the last few years that (included) some really tough moments," Thielen said about Young, whose annual passer rating has climbed from 73.7 to 82.2 to 86.0.

Below is a snippet of Lewis' story, which you can read fully here.

The Young comparison is not nearly as rosy as Josh Allen, who rewired his mechanics after a rough rookie season. Thielen, though, nodded aggressively when asked whether he thinks it's fair to link the journeys of the two. Young didn't immediately acclimate to NFL speed. Young missed metaphorical layups. He, too, stood at a lectern after games, owning his poor play and urging himself to be better.

McCarthy, by all accounts, attacks growth. So did Young. McCarthy can handle an extensive game plan. So could Young. They're markedly different types of throwers, and their initial offenses featured vastly different levels of talent. However, they were 22 years old and overmatched from the start.

The main takeaway that cannot be overstated is improvement takes time – and McCarthy deserves that.

Turning the corner

Dallas Turner, the other 2024 first-round pick on the Vikings roster, enjoyed a solid game Sunday.

The 22-year-old outside linebacker slotted in as a starter because Jonathan Greenard was inactive with a shoulder injury he sustained in Week 10, and he wound up playing 67 of the team's 75 snaps on defense.

All told, Turner was very busy against the Bears, turning a single-game-high snap count into three quarterback hits, seven total tackles, including a pair for losses, and one sack and one pass defensed.

Will Ragatz of Sports Illustrated evaluated Turner's performance Monday and wrote the 17^th overall draft choice from two springs ago "quietly had perhaps the best all-around game of his young career."

The film – and Turner's 72.1 overall grade on Pro Football Focus, his best to date in a game playing 20-plus snaps – confirmed Turner was a bright spot. (Be advised: PFF scores are a fine representation of how external eyes see a player on tape, but Offensive Coordinator Wes Phillips recently reminded there is variance in the grades on the analytics website and the player-grading system used by Vikings staff.)

To illustrate Turner's effectiveness, Ragatz shared a cutup of some of his top Week 11 moments:

Additionally, he supplied a broader analysis of the ascending player:

His athletic tools are excellent, but he hasn't really seemed to develop any sort of consistent pass rush move yet. Most of his pressures in this game came from a pure bull rush, and it also must be acknowledged that he was frequently matched up with Bears left tackle Theo Benedet, an undrafted second-year player from Canada. Turner had some good run defense reps in this game, but there were others where he was washed out of the play. … He's gotten more consistent opportunities to play a high volume of snaps in his second season, especially while filling in for either [Andrew] Van Ginkel or Greenard. And although you'd still like to see more of a consistent impact from Turner, he's clearly making progress within Brian Flores' defense. The flashes have been there for a young player who can push the pocket, play the run, and do some Van Ginkel-like things as a dropper in coverage.

Read the article on Turner here. Ragatz also mentions a couple plays that could've made his good game great, including a near interception on a screen that was "Gink'y" and a pressure that almost was a sack.

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