Falcons fans can laugh at Panthers after Bryce Young puts up JaMarcus Russell numbers

The state of affairs may be bad for the Atlanta Falcons after an offseason filled with so much promise. Kirk Cousins looked poor in his first action of the season, and division rivals New Orleans and Tampa Bay dominated on their way to 1-0. At least the Falcons can say they aren't Bryce Young and the Carolina Panthers.

The Panthers, who went 2-15 last season, lost to New Orleans 47-10 in a game that confirmed their status as a complete football hellhole with minimal chance of success. Young's struggles have shown Atlanta that he is not the guy who will rule over this division for the next few seasons.

In Young's first 17 starts, he has won just two games. Those two wins, one of which was against the Falcons, came with final scores of 15-13 against the Houston Texans and 9-7 vs. Atlanta. He has just 3,038 passing yards, 11 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions in his first 17 starts.

His stats are almost identical to that of famous New York Jets draft bust Zach Wilson, all while winning five fewer games. Even all-time bust JaMarcus Russell has arguably had a better start to his career than Young. Russell had more touchdowns and fewer interceptions in his first 17 games.

Bryce Young playing like JaMarcus Russell is hilarious for Falcons fans

Young has performed so poorly that Atlanta might be able to chalk up two easy wins on their schedule before a ball is even snapped. Between his inability to deliver from the pocket and antsy style of play, the diminutive Young could get beat up by a revitalized Falcons defense.

The Falcons' quarterback situation has been mocked mercilessly, but they at least have a succession plan in place. Michael Penix Jr. will not be brought into a starting situation before he is ready to lead the team or if the team around him is bad enough to force him to struggle.

Young could be in for two of his toughest games against Atlanta. With the secondary ready to feast on a Panthers passing game that looked very disjointed and a suspect Carolina offensive line that could help even a substandard Falcons front-seven thrive, things will get worse for Young before they get better.

While Cousins could be a serious albatross if he keep struggling, the Falcons are still in a better position than the Panthers unless Young suddenly turns into prime Drew Brees.