CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- The first month of the 2023 NFL season couldn’t have gone much worse for rookie quarterback Bryce Young and the 0-4 Carolina Panthers offensively.

The No. 1 overall pick of the draft is 0-3 as the starter, missing a Week 3 loss with an ankle injury. His QBR (25.0) ranks last among the 33 qualified quarterbacks in the NFL. His passer rating (75.0) ranks 30th and his PAA (points contributed above the level of an average QB) ranks 29th at minus-8.

He has led only two touchdown drives, and Carolina’s 13.3 points per game in his starts rank ahead of only two teams. There have been seven pre-snap penalties with Young playing, including two that cost them points in Sunday’s 21-13 home loss to the Minnesota Vikings.

It got so bad on Sunday the offense was booed.

“It’s not cool. It’s not cool at all, especially at home,’’ running back Miles Sanders said.

Despite obvious disappointment, there’s no panic by Young or the Panthers.

“In one respect, we’re this close,’’ coach Frank Reich said. “In other respects, we’re making too many mistakes to even say that. I believe we can get the results that we want. This doesn’t have to be 'wait for results.' We can get results now.’’

If the Panthers need evidence things can get better, they can consider the history of their next opponent, the Detroit Lions.

As it relates specifically to Young, look at former Lions quarterback Matthew Stafford’s career after Detroit made him the No. 1 overall pick in 2009.

Stafford won one of his first four starts, and the Lions opened 1-8 on their way to a 2-14 record, with Stafford going 2-8 in his 10 starts. Statistically, he was worse than Young in many key categories, throwing two touchdown passes to five interceptions in his first three games, leading to a QBR of 30.5.

He finished his rookie season 24th in QBR at 37.3 and only four qualified quarterbacks had a worse PAA than his minus-16.6.

Two years later, Stafford and the Lions were 10-6 and in the playoffs. After the Lions traded Stafford in 2021, he led the Los Angeles Rams to victory in Super Bowl LVI.

Stafford said the key was continued support from head coach Jim Schwartz and offensive coordinator Scott Linehan while he struggled.

Reich said there have been plays, such as a third-and-11 completion to wide receiver Adam Thielen on Sunday with multiple players in his face while scrambling, that reminds him of how good Young is.

“There’s not too many guys that are playing today that can make that play,’’ Reich said. “It’s terrible we’re 0-4. It’s terrible that we haven’t had more success on offense for him to feel that a little bit more.

“But I really believe and know that’s coming. There will be stuff that we gain, that he gains, that going through this difficulty, the mental toughness and the grit, fighting through that will pay dividends later.’’

Statistically, Young has improved gradually in three starts. From the second quarter into the fourth quarter on Sunday, he completed 18 consecutive passes, the second-longest streak among rookie quarterbacks the past 45 seasons.

Granted, those came on short passes against a Minnesota defense that attacks with a lot of zero blitzes. But Reich acknowledged that was the plan, and commended Young for getting rid of the ball quicker Sunday (2.46 seconds) than he did in his first two games (3.14).

Reich also believes the “chunk’’ plays (completions of 20-plus yards) that they need for Young and the offense to go to the next level will come.

Young has only two.

“As an offense, we’ve got to get the chunk plays in,’’ Reich said. “We’ve just got to get the whole operation better. That’s on all of us. That’s not just on Bryce. He is the quarterback, so it runs through him, but eliminating the mistakes, the pre-snap penalties, these situations where we’re putting ourselves behind the sticks.’’

The Lions also are a prime example that things can turn around quickly within a season. They opened last season with a 1-6 record, then won eight of their last 10 games to finish 9-8, missing out on the playoffs by half a game. They’re 3-1 this season.

“There’s ways to find perspective,’’ Young said. “You look at other people’s situations and try to find silver linings. But at the end of the day, they had to do the work to turn things around.

“Us just seeing that and saying it’s possible isn’t going to allow us to do that. We have to put in the work.’’

Carolina wide receiver D.J. Chark Jr., who played for Detroit last season, believes the same sort of turnaround is possible for Young and the Panthers.

“Once you get a win, it kind of switches everything,’’ he said. “It’s more positive. It’s more exciting, fun. You know what it’s like to finish the game and come in here and cheer. You do that once, you to it twice, and then you start thinking you’re supposed to win.’’

Reich agreed.

“I do think there are defining moments,’’ he said. “What it’s going to take is we’re going to get in that moment and we’re going to finish. Many times that can be a catalyst to get things going, to breathe some confidence back into the team.’’

Chark also understands the run game, which has averaged only 75.7 yards the past three games, has to improve to give Young a chance. That will be a point of emphasis this week against a Detroit team giving up a league-low 60.75 yards rushing per game.

“It’s tough anytime that you’re kind of one-dimensional,’’ Chark said. “But it’s a long season. If we can get it together, which we will, things will be better.

“There’s brighter days ahead.’’