CHARLOTTE, N.C. — The Carolina Panthers have seen an uptick in play from their second-year quarterback, Bryce Young, in recent weeks. Perhaps not-so-coincidentally, they’ve also seen an uptick in their speed out of the huddle on offense as well.

Panthers head coach Dave Canales has emphasized the importance of showing urgency ahead of the snap. And while lining up following the huddle seems more procedural than performance-based, excelling ahead of the play can have a major impact after the snap when blitzes and bodies are flying around the pocket.

“The sooner you can get up there with time on the play clock, you can gather information,” Canales said Wednesday. “The sooner you start to engage your body language, as if we’re ready to go, then it just gives you a lot more information, and it puts a little more strain on the defense.

“I’ve been around different (defensive) coordinators where they say, ‘The average snap is around this time, hold your disguise until . . . ‘ So, if we can get up there and play ball, then that allows for the defense to have to show their hand earlier, knowing that we can push the tempo and do things like that.”

During the past three games, Young has looked particularly strong against the blitz. He has been accurate with defenders in his face, and he has manipulated the pocket a bit more than he had in his previous 19 starts.

Getting up to the line early has enabled Young to process more thoroughly, as he can see where defenders are lining up, and center Cade Mays can communicate with the rest of the line to set pre-snap protections.

Defenses are going to send blitzes and try to confuse Young and the offensive line. But, if they can get to the line quick enough, they can dictate the flow of the information.

“We go out there, get lined up and we’re able to make our reads on the defense,” wideout David Moore said. “And it’s just something that Coach has been preaching, and wanting us to do better of, and just gradually making strides, and doing that — feeling more confident, and just becoming ourselves.”

Speed kills ... and saves plays

The Panthers have worked on their ability to get in and out of the huddle on offense in practice.

Canales wants his operation to flow, and with Young leading the group, it’s paramount that everyone gets in place on schedule with an emphasis on speed.

“We try to hurry up, break (the huddle), go through our cadence, see what they’ve got, and do it like that,” right guard Robert Hunt said.

In theory, the quicker the Panthers can communicate, and the faster they can line up, the more effective they can be in both pre- and post-snap operations.

“We want to be efficient with all that stuff,” Young said. “Just getting to the line, being able to assess whether there’s stuff I have to do at the line of scrimmage. ... It’s definitely been a point of emphasis. All the credit goes to the guys, just for taking that stuff seriously — it starts in practice and then translating (to the games). We have to be consistent with it.”

Through the Panthers’ goodwill stretch in November, Young has completed 60.4% of his passes for 560 yards, three touchdowns and one interception in three starts. He’s been sacked just four times.

Compare that stat line to his previous three starts — 59.1% completion percentage, 469 passing yards, two touchdowns and four interceptions with eight sacks taken — and it’s clear that something is starting to click.

Young’s processing speed was considered one of his strengths in college, as was his ability to be a dynamic threat with improvisation. Against the Kansas City Chiefs in Sunday’s 30-27 loss, Young flashed both of those top traits as he led six scoring drives.

His comfort in the pocket against Chiefs defensive coordinator Steve Spagnuolo’s blitz and coverage packages was impressive. That confidence likely came out of — or, is at least partially from — the offense’s operational approach ahead of the snap.

“Yeah, I mean, I think it’s been a point of emphasis for us,” wideout Adam Thielen said. “Just trying to get up, give Bryce time to kind of make his checks, do the things he needs to do, and then be able to play fast.

“We’ve got to get better at that, I think. And just keep pushing and getting better, like I said. We still have a little ways to go on that, but yeah, I think it helps. And we know that it helps — we’ve seen the fruits coming from that, from the hard work, so keep pushing on that.”

While the huddle quickness is something the offense wants to lean on, it’s not some universal cheat code. As defensive end A’Shawn Robinson said in the locker room Wednesday, it can also tell the defense what to expect ahead of the action.

“I don’t think it’s an advantage,” Robinson told The Observer. “I think they’re just trying to see something and check and see if we’re going to show our hand. I mean, as along as you’re disguising and know how to play defense, I don’t think it’s an advantage to anyone. I feel like, if anything, it’s an advantage to the defense because now you’re set (as an offense), any chance of you audibling, we know you’re audible out of the set, so I don’t think it’s an advantage.

“I think if you hurry up on the ball and say ‘hut,’ then it’s an advantage, cause your man won’t be set or lined up.”

Speed ahead of the play is a balancing act.

When an offense isn’t in a hurry-up situation, players and coaches don’t want to show their cards too quickly. But the unit also wants to be able to read and react to the other side, especially if the opposing defensive coordinator is known for trickery and deceit.

Ultimately, it’s on the staff to prepare Young and the offense for the perfect mixture of timing and technique. During the past three games, it does seem like Canales, Young and company are pressing the right buttons in their approach to the huddle communication.

“It’s just comfortability, and it’s not just all Bryce, you know, it’s the whole unit,” Canales said. “It’s really just guys knowing where to line up, how to initiate the first parts of the motions of the formation, different things like that. The chemistry with the center, talking to Cade — stacking up these games, so they can things ID’d properly and quickly, and so it’s really the whole thing.

“But it is (Bryce’s) job to drive that. And it really starts in the walkthroughs — it’s making sure that the scout team is doing a good job getting lined up so we can push the tempo of the play, get up to the line of scrimmage and get the information that we need. So, it’s a collective effort, but he certainly has to be the voice and driving that, and he’s doing a great job of that.”

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