Denver Broncos vs Carolina Panthers: Top 5 Predictions

He Denver Broncos They are defending their home field against the carolina pantherswhich is one of four teams with only one win this season. While this should be an “easy” game for the Broncos, there really is no such thing in the NFL.

Bad teams are often overlooked, especially with the type of schedule the Broncos have.

To help the Broncos achieve a victory, there are some bold statistical marks to reach. The Broncos have won about 75% of their games when they achieved at least one of my bold predictions.

These are big and bold but realizable with how bad the Panthers are. Let’s dive in.

The Broncos’ passing offense has been inconsistent, thanks to their boom-or-bust look, which thrives on explosive plays but is poor outside of those explosive plays. They face one of the worst passing defenses in the NFL in the Panthers, which should help the Broncos find consistency in their passing game.

This set will also correct Bo Nix’s footwork without doing too much. Those fixes may carry over to future games, as the goal is to make Nix more consistent when working in the pocket.

Prediction: Nix passes for over 200 yards with two touchdowns.

In recent weeks, the Broncos have gotten to work. Since Week 3, Denver has accumulated at least 109 rushing yards in every game. The Broncos are also coming off their season-high 225 yards against the New Orleans Saintswhere they got 6.4 yards per rush.

Meanwhile, the Panthers have allowed at least 128 rushing yards in every game except Week 3 against the Las Vegas Raiders. The Panthers have also allowed two games of over 200 rushing yards, including their Week 7 game against the Washington Commanders.

The Broncos will run on the Panthers defense and have a solid passing game. The Broncos put together their best offensive performance, surpassing 400 yards from scrimmage for the first time since January 8, 2023.

The Broncos have only eclipsed 400 yards from scrimmage in a game 10 times between the 2020 season and now. This comes as the Panthers have allowed three 400+ yard games this season, all in their last three games.

Prediction: The Broncos rush for over 250 yards and contribute over 400 yards of total offense.

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The Panthers have done a decent job protecting the quarterback, but they haven’t faced a defense like the Broncos that goes after the quarterback. The Panthers have allowed just 14 sacks this season and have the 10th-lowest pressure rate allowed.

However, the best defense the Panthers have faced in terms of pressure rating currently ranks 13th, while the Broncos rank third in the NFL.

All but two teams had a significantly higher pressure rate against the Panthers than their season average. Those two teams were the Atlanta Falconsdesperate for a pass rusher, and the Raiders. The Broncos put a lot of pressure on Bryce Young and push for the single-game sack record.

Prediction: The Broncos get more than eight sacks on Young.

The Broncos translate all that pressure into extra gains and opportunities for the offense. Young was benched for poor play, so his interception total is still relatively low at three on the season, but he has a higher turnover-worthy play percentage.

Young struggles to protect the ball and the Broncos do well to take it away from him. The Panthers will turn the ball over three times depending on how well the Broncos force them.

Prediction: The Broncos take the ball away three times.

On the other hand, the Broncos offense does not turn the ball over despite the Panthers forcing six turnovers with three fumbles and three interceptions. The Broncos have had trouble protecting the ball, with six fumbles by their running backs, two by Javonte Williams and two by Audric Estime, one by Jaleel McLaughlin and one by Tyler Badie, who is still on injured reserve.

There is an emphasis on the Broncos side to reduce fumbles, which translates into this game. Meanwhile, Nix has done a better job protecting the ball as a passer and is keeping him intercepted-free.

Prediction: The Broncos don’t turn the ball over.

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