We take a look at what Bryce Young and the Panthers offense need to do to get a win over the Broncos.
The Carolina Panthers looked like they were going to be a watchable team after Andy Dalton led the team to 36 points and a win over the Las Vegas Raiders. It’s been downhill since then. While the offense has had some okay performances since then, it’s still not been good enough, and now Andy Dalton is out after injuring his thumb in a car crash (really). That means Bryce Young is back in as the starter for this week’s road game against the Denver Broncos.
Young is probably rolling his eyes at the timing of his reinsertion into the starting spot. The Broncos have one of the best defenses in the NFL, so they’re not the best opponent to build some momentum against. They currently rank third in the NFL in defensive DVOA. They’ve done that with a suffocating pass defense that is limiting opposing quarterbacks to a league low 5.9 yards per pass attempt. They’ve sacked opposing quarterbacks 28 times, second to only Brian Burns and the Giants.
All of that to say it’s going to be very hard for Bryce Young and the Panthers offense to find success. We’ll do our best to find a path to defy the odds and score some touchdowns.
- Lean on the running game. I used that paragraph above to talk up the Broncos pass defense, but their run defense is good to. However, it’s not quite as good as their pass defense. The Panthers run game is (a lot) better than their aerial attack, so they’re going to have to do their best to utilize it as much as possible. Chuba Hubbard is fifth in the NFL in rushing yards and is averaging over five yards per carry. The Panthers need a big day from him to keep the chains moving and give the Broncos front something to think about on their way to quarterback.
- Take care of the football. The Panthers aren’t going to be able to stick with their ground game if they dig themselves into an early hole like they did last week. Dalton was picked off on two of the Panthers first three drives last week, and one was taken back for a touchdown. If Young goes out and does something similar, the Panthers will be forced to play catch-up, which is going to put a lot of pressure on the second year quarterback. For as good as the Broncos defense is, they’re middle of the pack in terms of takeaways. The Panthers need to keep it that way.
- Whichever tight ends play need to be ready to step up. With the Broncos so good on the outside, teams have been somewhat reliant on their tight ends to buoy their passing games. The Panthers aren’t particularly good in that department, but Ja’Tavion Sanders is coming off a career best six catch, 61 yard performance on Sunday. He and Tommy Tremble have both been limited in practice, but whoever is able to take the field on Sunday needs to be ready to handle a healthy dose of targets.