The Carolina Panthers lost by three scores, but that is somehow still probably a flattering score line.
The Bryce Young led Carolina Panthers went cold after a first drive touchdown and lost in convincing fashion to the Denver Broncos, 28-14.
It’s a long one. Buckle up.
First Quarter
The Broncos received the opening kickoff, but they didn’t keep it for long. Shy Tuttle worked down the field after a short completion to Lil’Jordan Humphrey, punched the ball out, and fell on it to give the Panthers possession. Some short passes and good runs by both backs worked the Panthers onto the doorstep of the endzone. A holding penalty almost took them out of range for a touchdown, but a good pickup on a screen to Chuba Hubbard got the Panthers to the six yard line. Bryce Young found Xavier Legette in the end zone on a quick slant against Patrick Surtain to put the Panthers up 7-0.
The Broncos held onto the ball on their second drive and moved the ball into field goal range, but the defense would stop them there. Jaycee Horn broke up a second down pass intended for Cortland Sutton, then A’Shawn Robinson and Jadeveon Clowney combined to sack Bo Nix out of field goal range.
The punt was downed at the two yard line, and the Panthers offense played it safe and was unable to pick up a first down before punting it back. The first quarter ended after a 38 yard pass from Nix to a wide open Adam Trautman coming across the middle.
Second Quarter
The second quarter started with the Broncos in the redzone. It took a handful of short passes to get there, but they eventually broke through for a touchdown on 3rd and goal.
A second down holding call on Jalen Coker backed the Panthers up to 2nd and 18. The Panthers were forced to punt again after two short, unproductive passes. The Broncos went to the air with their possession, and they were far more productive. They quickly and easily marched down the field to set up a pass from Nix to Trautman, who made a one handed grab to put the Broncos up 14-7.
The Panthers picked up a first down through the air on the first play of the next drive but quickly bogged down around midfield. They went for it on a 4th and 2. They ran a sort of speed option, but Young got caught up in traffic and turned it into a sort of swing pass to Miles Sanders, who had no shot to pick up the first down. Nix shredded the Panthers defense again, and after a couple of stands on first and second down, the defense finally broke on a third down quarterback sneak.
The Panthers had a disastrous attempt at a late score. Xavier Legette dropped a well thrown pass after apparently losing in the sun. Brady Christensen got called for a phantom false start. Then, on third and long, Young inexplicably ran out of bounds to stop the clock and save the Broncos their timeout. In all, the Panthers gained one yard, used 22 seconds of clock, and didn’t force the Broncos to burn a timeout. Fortunately the Broncos couldn’t take advantage.
Third Quarter
Young ran into a sack on the second play of the second half to set up a third and long. He got hit as he threw and couldn’t pick up the first. The Broncos gave the ball right back after an ineffective drive.
Young had Legette open down the sideline on the ensuing first down, but he overthrew him by a few yards. Young did make a pass to Jalen Coker a few plays later, but it was called back for a hold. The Panthers called a fake punt out of desperation and had a wide open Sam Franklin at the first down marker, but Johnny Hekker badly missed the throw. The Broncos took over just outside the redzone and scored a few plays later.
The Panthers committed a pair of delay of games after Young spent too long trying to make checks at the line of scrimmage. They somehow picked up a 3rd and 14 when Young found Coker down the sideline, and the receiver made an incredible tightrope catch. A roughing the passer penalty tacked on 15 more yards. That would be as far as the Panthers would go. Young missed Tommy Tremble on a 4th down pass attempt and was picked by Patrick Surtain. It appeared that Young and Tremble weren’t on the same page in terms of what route the tight end was running.
The Broncos were forced into another three and out, and the Panthers ended the quarter with an explosive run from Chuba Hubbard followed by Young turning the wrong way on what was supposed to be another handoff to the back.
Fourth Quarter
The Panthers were quickly forced to punt after Young missed Legette on second and long and then ran into another sack on third down. The Panthers defense again held true against a now conservative Broncos offense. Clowney had his second stuff on a run play to end a Broncos drive. The Broncos tried a fake field goal because why not? The Panthers snuffed it out, but not until after a little scare.
Another anemic start to a drive featuring a checkdown on 3rd and 9 forced the Panthers into another fourth down. Tommy Tremble caught a pass short of the sticks, but he broke a tackle and powered for a first down. Young found Coker with a strike over the middle on the next play. A couple of plays later, Young took a shot to Coker in the endzone, but the ball was underthrown and intercepted.
A few plays later, the Broncos called a double pass on a 4th and 2 to pick up one last first down to ice the game away. They tried to throw for a touchdown a few plays later, but that created a full circle moment. The game effectively ended the way it began, with a Broncos fumble.
The Panthers did drive down for a garbage time touchdown. Jalen Coker reeled in a back shoulder ball from Young to secure his first career touchdown.
Overview
The Panthers are simply a terrible football team. We knew this. The offense was unable to move the ball after an effective first drive. The defense was powerless to stop the Broncos and was repeatedly thrown back out onto the field after short drives that didn’t move the ball.
Perhaps the most frustrating part of the game was how many of the rare successes were undone by individual mistakes. Young finally hits a receiver down the field, but an offensive lineman was holding. The Panthers pull off a fake punt, but Hekker misses the throw. They make a stop to set up a third and long, but a defensive lineman gets called for holding. It was a series of individual mistakes to undermine the few chances the Panthers had to make positive plays. But that’s what bad teams do, and again, the Panthers are bad team.
The Broncos poured salt in the wound calling trick plays with the game already out of reach.
If there’s one positive to take away from the game—Jalen Coker looked really good. Steve Smith might have been right about him.
The Panthers will bring their bad selves back home next week to host a New Orleans Saints team that’s also been very bad after a barn burning first two weeks of the season.