Baker Mayfield and Bryce Young went head-to-head in one of the most breathtaking contests of Week 13.

The two former Heisman Trophy winners and No. 1 overall NFL Draft picks battled it out in a 68-minute slugfest that was ultimately decided not by their right arms but by the running backs who lined up next to them. Tampa Bay’s Rachaad White and Bucky Irving picked apart the Carolina Panthers’ defense en route to the win, while Chuba Hubbard fumbled the ball away and scored a potential game-winning drive in overtime.

While Young’s team won the L, Sunday’s game was another encouraging performance for the once-thought-dead signal-caller. His Week 13 opponent, Mayfield, knows a thing or two about rising from the dead under the tutelage of Dave Canales. Baker spoke after the game about the potential that Bryce Young has while also discussing Young’s performance under the lights on Sunday night.

“I wouldn’t say I was impressed. I’m just proud of him. The ups and downs of the league and the things you go through, from personal experience, I’m proud of him. This.” The guy has the potential to do anything he wants and he just needs to get his confidence back and I think you can see it growing every day. And knowing the staff he works with, I know that’s a big part of what they do in this building.”

If their respective developments continue, it’s easy to imagine a future where Mayfield and Young continue to compete for the NFC South crown year after year. The two quarterbacks continue to impress viewers with their progress on a weekly basis, and while the Saints and Falcons fail at the quarterback position, the division is there.

Sign me up for more duels like we saw last night.

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