JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — If there is one thing Bryce Young, and by extension the Carolina Panthers, have learned over the past year, it's that when the game — or in this case, practice —is on the line, you can always go to Tetairoa McMillan.

After an admittedly slow start to Wednesday's joint practice against the Jacksonville Jaguars, Young, McMillan, and the Panthers "settled in," according to Dave Canales. And the reason why was obvious.

"Bryce just started finding TMac in different ways," noted Canales after practice. "He spread the ball around a little bit, but just like, importantly for us, explosive passes, touchdowns, things that went into the end zone. It was fantastic to see."

The first "ah-ha" moment between Young and McMillan came during a move-the-ball period when the Panthers were finally doing just that. Young escaped pressure and moved the pocket, resetting himself before sending one deep on an outside crosser for the touchdown.

"It makes my job so much easier, having a guy like him out there, that you can trust one-on-one," bragged Young of his receiver afterward. "A guy that you can go to, it's huge. It speaks to the player he is, a person; he has a work ethic he has — obviously he's a huge part of what we do."

As the Panthers clear WR1 now, and the reigning rookie of the year, McMillan is going to draw even more attention this year than he did last. That was evident some against the Jaguars, but it's just the start of what he'll likely face this season.

"A little bit," McMillan concurred. "You always can tell kind of which way the defense is flowing too, but at that point you just got to play ball."

So, he did.

During the final session of the move-the-ball period, the Panthers were knocking in the red zone and, given the pressure from the Jaguars' formidable pass-rush duo of Josh Hines-Allen and Travon Walker, plus their coverage, Young knew he had to get the ball out quick. That meant most likely going to McMillan yet again.

"Zero look, you have to get the ball out quick, and when it's that, you trust your guy," Young explained.

A throw to McMillan was not the original call, but Young saw something in the Jags coverage that led to a chance.

"I was backside. Just one-on-one, and Bryce saw something that he liked. He checked out of (the called play). I guess he got me open on that one," chuckled McMillan.

The receiver was double covered, a guy on one hip and another crashing down quick. But he jumped for the catch and landed just inside the goal line for the score.

"Bryce just put it in a spot where only I can get it, so he just made it easy for me," shrugged McMillan.

Young, for his part, immediately turned the praise right back to this receiver, with full credit for making the play of the day.

"He did a great job, had some pop out, some movement, ended up being a contested catch, and for me, I just want to give him a chance," Young said.

"The catch looked a lot easier probably than it was. That's not an easy catch at all. But again speaks to, having a guy, you just want to give him a shot, goes up there and competes and comes down with a moment like that. It's what you expect from him; that's what he does."