In last week’s homecoming game, Sean Payton returned to New Orleans only to lead the Denver Broncos to a 33-10 beatdown of his former team. Saints fans had to sit and watch as the franchise’s one-time figurehead was named the Homecoming King of a school he no longer attended.
The Broncos’ defense rattled Spencer Rattler from the start and shut down the running game, while Javonte Williams led the way for the offense with 88 rushing yards and two touchdowns.
While the Saints were dealing with a multitude of injuries, it was still impressive to see the Broncos take advantage of the favorable matchups to earn a convincing, one-sided victory, especially considering that, in the past, Denver was frequently subject to losing trap games.
If the Broncos hope to finally snap their playoff drought this season, they must take care of business against teams they are supposed to beat.
This week, the orange and blue face a similar matchup in the Carolina Panthers.
The Panthers have arguably been the worst team in football over the past two seasons and, a la the Saints, they are now down to their backup quarterback – Bryce Young.
Much like they did in New Orleans, Denver needs to show that it can comfortably beat a struggling team starting its backup quarterback.
Here’s what else we must see from the Denver Broncos as the Carolina Panthers come to town in Week 8.
Repeat History
As many in Broncos Country know, the team has historically done quite well against the Panthers when they start a former first-overall pick at quarterback, as the Broncos boast a 4-0 record under those circumstances.
In Super Bowl 50, the infamous No Fly Zone defense held league MVP Cam Newton to just 18/41 passing for 265 yards and an interception, while also sacking him seven times and forcing two critical fumbles.
For as dominant a showing as that was, the Broncos’ defense could perform even better this week against Bryce Young.
Young, the first overall pick of the 2023 NFL Draft, has struggled mightily since entering the league, totaling just 3,176 passing yards and 11 touchdowns, versus 13 interceptions, in 18 career starts. For as poorly as he was playing in 2023, he was off to an even worse start in 2024 before getting benched for Andy Dalton.
He has been near the bottom or dead last among quarterbacks in most advanced stats in 2024, as he is 43rd in EPA/play with -0.48, 58th in bad pass rate with 25.8%, and has a completion percentage of just 37.5% when pressured.
Perhaps most importantly, Young’s 2024 starts showed a serious decline in his feel for the pocket, as he was sacked seven times in just two starts.
This is all music to the ears of Vance Joseph and the Broncos defense, who are currently second in the league with 28 sacks, which puts them on pace to finish with a new franchise record of 68 total. Joseph’s aggressive style of generating pressure combined with the lockdown play of Denver’s cornerback trio should make things very challenging for the Panthers passing attack.
Furthermore, the Panthers will be without top targets Diontae Johnson and Adam Thielen, meaning that Young will be throwing to backups the entire game.
As mentioned earlier, Newton’s final stat line in Super Bowl 50 was dismal, but Young is far from MVP caliber. The Broncos should aim to repeat history with bottom-tier production from Young on Sunday, as there is no reason the Panthers should be able to get things going through the air.
A Fast Start from Bo Nix and the Denver Broncos Offense
A fast start from Bo Nix should be a key to the game for every remaining matchup, as it has been borderline insufferable to watch the Denver Broncos offense in the first half of nearly every game this season.
The slow starts on offense have been the primary reason for every Broncos loss this season, as a couple more field goals or even a touchdown in the first half would have made a tremendous difference against the Seahawks, Steelers, and Chargers.
Even in their dominant win against New Orleans, the Broncos had to settle for field goals on many drives that should have resulted in seven points instead. Unfortunately, Nix was a big part of the problem, as his accuracy and footwork issues led to many missed opportunities.
That didn’t burn them against the Saints, and likely won’t against the Panthers either, but the Broncos still need to start faster, and this is the perfect week to figure out how.
Despite how bad Carolina’s offense has been, their defense has arguably been worse. Led by former Denver Broncos defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero, they have allowed over 34 points per game, 385 yards per game, and are allowing about four touchdowns per game, on average. Those figures are poor enough to place the Panthers among the NFL’s three worst defenses in each of the respective categories.
Funny enough, one of the biggest issues for Carolina’s defense so far has been… slow starts. They have allowed 133 total points in first halves alone this season, marking this a great opportunity for the Broncos to score points early.
This is a week where we must see multiple scores from Bo Nix and the Denver Broncos offense in the first half. If Denver hopes to beat more formidable opponents, then they have to prove that they are at least capable of clicking right out of the gates, as their Week 3 win against the Buccaneers has been the only example so far of the offense starting hot.
Getting off to a good start against the Panthers would provide the Broncos a much-needed confidence boost heading into a tough stretch of games against the Ravens, Chiefs, and Falcons.
Don’t Look Past a Struggling Team
Despite the Carolina Panthers’ well-documented struggles on both sides of the ball, the Denver Broncos are still in no position to be overlooking an underdog who has nothing to lose.
Typically, many teams in this scenario may look ahead of the schedule and begin prepping for their next opponent, either explicitly or subconsciously. Mental hiccups like that lead to upsets like the Raiders toppling the Ravens or the Patriots defeating the Bengals.
Denver could easily find themselves looking ahead, as they go on the road against Baltimore next week, and Kansas City the week after that – arguably the two best teams in the AFC.
Until Denver is a bonafide playoff contender each year, they should always have a “one game at a time” mindset, as no wins are guaranteed in the NFL. The Panthers are still a professional team filled with NFL talent and, if they’re not respected, could easily wind up pantsing the Broncos.
Additionally, there are many reasons for the Panthers to feel like a cornered animal heading into this game.
Head Coach Dave Canales is off to a 1-6 start in his career and works for a trigger-happy owner who isn’t afraid to pull the plug when things aren’t working. Meanwhile, Bryce Young has a huge opportunity to silence the “bust” allegations against a top defense after being benched for… Andy Dalton.
Plus, Ejiro Evero had an ugly departure from Denver after they fired his best friend in Nathaniel Hackett, giving him a chip on his shoulder. Evero was infamously offered the role of interim head coach and declined, proceeding to force his way out of the organization in the offseason. He will surely attempt to exact some revenge in this matchup.
The Denver Broncos simply cannot afford to be out-coached or out-played this week considering how heavily the contest favors them. Broncos fans have witnessed so many trap games over the last nine years that even a matchup against a team like the Panthers, who are among the lowest in EPA/play on both sides of the ball, is hard to project as an easy victory.
If the Broncos hope to become a team that is always favored in these types of matchups, then it starts with beating the Panthers by 20-plus points.
