DOWN X DOWN › week 9 › Broncos at Panthers
Updated Nov 3, 9:16 AM ET
2026
2026this season2025final

Week 9 · Sunday 1:00 PM ET · Bank of America Stadium

DENvsCAR

Broncos offensevsPanthers defense

Season numbers through Week 8: 8 games for Broncos, 7 for Panthers. Ranks are out of 32; #1 is the best offense or the stingiest defense.

DEN offenseCAR offense
Keys to the game · where this matchup tilts, from the season numbers4 reads
01
Biggest edge

Clean pockets

Broncos take a sack on 4% of dropbacks (6th). Panthers get home on 4% (29th). League average is 7%.

02
Opportunity

Short middle is open

Panthers are worst against short middle throws, allowing +0.29 EPA per attempt. Broncos send 9% of their throws there. That is a small part of their offense so far.

03
Watch out

Tight ends go quiet

Panthers give up 47 yards a game to tight ends (12th), against a league average of 55. Broncos' tight ends produce 28 (31st).

04
Wash

EPA per play

Call this one even. Broncos average -0.03 EPA per play (21st). Panthers allow +0.03 (20th). League average is +0.00.

Players to watch

DEN Broncos

10Bo NixQB · 149/250 · 1493 yds · 9 TD · 3 INTEPA per dropback -0.01 · 23rd20Jonah ColemanRB · 30 car · 134 yds · 2 TD · 9 recEPA per touch +0.17 · 2nd17Jaylen WaddleWR · 29 rec · 315 yds · 2 TD · 51 tgtEPA per target +0.0814Courtland SuttonWR · 20 rec · 221 yds · 1 TD · 37 tgtEPA per target -0.1529Ja'Quan McMillianNickel Back · 25 tackles · 2 sacks · 1 INT · 7 PD1 INT99Zach AllenLeft Defensive End · 25 tackles · 4.5 sacks · 3 PD4.5 sacks · T-17th in the NFL

CAR Panthers

9Bryce YoungQB · 158/269 · 1921 yds · 13 TD · 5 INTEPA per dropback +0.06 · 17th30Chuba HubbardRB · 118 car · 540 yds · 7 TD · 22 recEPA per touch +0.14 · 4th4Tetairoa McMillanWR · 42 rec · 569 yds · 2 TD · 65 tgtEPA per target +0.3518Jalen CokerWR · 27 rec · 364 yds · 3 TD · 44 tgtEPA per target +0.1955Devin LloydLeft Inside Linebacker · 45 tackles · 2 sacks · 2 INT · 3 PD2 INT · T-11th in the NFL58Bobby OkerekeRight Inside Linebacker · 48 tackles · 1 sack · 1 INT · 5 PD1 INT
The series · Broncos and Panthers since 1999, and this season's records8 meetings

The Broncos lead the series 6–2 since 1999 (they first met in 2004). Oct 27, 2024, at Empower Field at Mile High: the Broncos won 28–14. Bo Nix started at quarterback for the Broncos and Bryce Young for the Panthers; Sean Payton and Dave Canales coached.

Broncos at home3–0the Broncos' record
In Carolina2–2the Broncos' record
Most pointsBroncos 36 · Panthers 302012 · 2008
Biggest winBroncos by 22 · Panthers by 202012 · 2008
Playoffs1–0the Broncos' record

The last 5

2024 · Wk 8CAR 14 at DEN 28
2022 · Wk 12DEN 10 at CAR 23
2020 · Wk 14DEN 32 at CAR 27
2016 · Wk 1CAR 20 at DEN 21
2015 · Wk 21 · playoffsCAR 10 at DEN 24

2026 records

BroncosPanthers
Overall6–23–4
Division2–11–1
Conference3–13–3
Other conference3–10–1
Home4–01–2
Away2–22–2
Last 5LWWWWLWWLL
StreakWon 4Lost 2
Points a game21.5 – 20.625.4 – 27.6

Every meeting since 1999, regular season and playoffs, from nflverse's game list, which starts in 1999; the all-time series goes back further. Franchises that moved count as one team (the Raiders, Chargers and Rams). Home and away are from the Broncos' side. Records are this regular season.

The lineups · Broncos offense against the Panthers defenseDepth charts
Panthers defense · 3-4 DBroncos offense · 3WR 1TE72Bolles74Powers60Wattenberg77Meinerz69McGlinchey1Engram10Nix20Coleman17Waddle11Franklin14Sutton98Wharton92Hunter95Brown91Jones5Phillips58Okereke55Lloyd24Lee36DeWalt26Smith-Wade7Moehrig21Scott

Broncos offense · 3WR 1TE

  • QBBo Nix#10 · 149/250 · 1493 yds · 9 TD · 3 INT
  • RBJonah Coleman#20 · 30 car · 134 yds · 2 TD · 9 rec
  • WRJaylen Waddle#17 · 29 rec · 315 yds · 2 TD · 51 tgt
  • WRCourtland Sutton#14 · 20 rec · 221 yds · 1 TD · 37 tgt
  • WRTroy Franklin#11 · 6 rec · 69 yds · 0 TD · 11 tgt
  • TEEvan Engram#1 · 13 rec · 136 yds · 1 TD · 25 tgt
  • LTGarett Bolles#72
  • LGBen Powers#74
  • CLuke Wattenberg#60
  • RGQuinn Meinerz#77
  • RTMike McGlinchey#69

Panthers defense · Base 3-4 D

  • RDETershawn Wharton#98 · 7 tackles
  • NTLee Hunter#92 · 16 tackles
  • LDEDerrick Brown#95 · 21 tackles · 5 PD
  • WLBPatrick Jones II#91 · 11 tackles
  • SLBJaelan Phillips#5 · 10 tackles · 2.5 sacks
  • RILBBobby Okereke#58 · 48 tackles · 1 sack · 1 INT · 5 PD
  • LILBDevin Lloyd#55 · 45 tackles · 2 sacks · 2 INT · 3 PD
  • RCBWill Lee III#24 · 33 tackles · 7 PD
  • LCBMalcolm DeWalt IV#36 · 1 tackles
  • NBChau Smith-Wade#26 · 6 tackles
  • SSTre'von Moehrig#7 · 29 tackles · 0.5 sacks
  • FSNick Scott#21 · 29 tackles · 2 PD

Starters from each team's current depth chart (nflverse, from ESPN), drawn in the offense's base three-receiver set against the defense's base front. The nickel back, the extra defensive back most teams use against three receivers, is drawn lighter. Left and right are as the offense sees the field. The toggle at the top flips which offense is drawn.

Head to head · DEN offense against CAR defense
StatDEN DEN offFavors DEN · Favors CARCAR CAR def allowsNFL avg
Overall
EPA per play
-0.03#21
+0.03#20+0.00
Success rate
38%#29
44%#2244%
Yards per play
4.9#26
5.4#195.4
Explosive play rate
7%#27
8%#59%
Passing
Pass EPA per dropback
-0.02#22
+0.02#16+0.03
Sack rate
4%#6
4%#297%
Running
Run EPA per carry
-0.06#15
-0.01#28-0.08
Yards per carry
3.7#25
4.6#274.1
Money downs
3rd down conversion
31%#32
47%#2841%
Red zone TD rate
68%#8
80%#3061%
Targets by position
WR yards per game
107#29
146#17147
TE yards per game
28#31
47#1255
TE targets per game
4.9#31
7.6#157.6
RB receiving yards per game
53#3
27#932
Where the ball goes · EPA per throwDeep is 15+ air yds

Broncos: EPA per throw

Left
Middle
Right
Deep
-0.037% of throws
4too few
+0.026% of throws
Short
+0.0435% of throws
-0.209% of throws
+0.0442% of throws

Panthers: EPA allowed per throw

Left
Middle
Right
Deep
+1.608 throws
+0.038 throws
-0.0522 throws
Short
+0.0168 throws
+0.2946 throws
0.0089 throws

Green gains more than expected, red loses value. Cells with fewer than 5 throws are grayed out.