The second-year quarterback — who was benched after two games and only got the job back because Andy Dalton was in a car wreck the Tuesday before the Denver game — punctuated his comeback with a brilliant day.
Young finished with three touchdown passes, two touchdown runs, and a season-best 123.5 passer rating, and coolly won a coin toss and kept the Falcons from ever touching the ball in overtime.
But beyond the numbers, he got back to playing the game with the kind of nerve and verve he showed at Alabama, which caused the Panthers to draft him first overall.
Whether it was slithering his way out of a sack situation and running for a touchdown, pump-faking defenders in the open field, jump passes in overtime or turning around to celebrate a Tommy Tremble touchdown before Tremble had even caught the ball, Young was on one Sunday.
More than anything else, that’s the most important point of the season. The quarterback they gave up so much for is justifying the expense.