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

CARvsDEN

Panthers offensevsBroncos defense

Season numbers through Week 8: 7 games for Panthers, 8 for Broncos. 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

Tight ends feast

Broncos give up 68 yards a game to tight ends (26th), against a league average of 55. Panthers' tight ends produce 70 (4th).

02
Opportunity

Short middle is open

Broncos are worst against short middle throws, allowing +0.27 EPA per attempt. Panthers send 20% of their throws there.

03
Watch out

Passing lanes are closed

Panthers gain +0.05 EPA per dropback (16th). Broncos allow -0.06 (6th).

04
Wash

Yards per play

Call this one even. Panthers gain 5.6 yards per play (12th). Broncos give up 5.2 (10th), with the league at 5.4.

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 · Panthers offense against the Broncos defenseDepth charts
Broncos defense · 3-4 DPanthers offense · 3WR 1TE63Walker68Lewis77Fortner50Hunt57Freeling82Tremble9Young30Hubbard4McMillan13Metchie18Coker96Uwazurike93Jones99Allen0Cooper15Bonitto40Strnad49Singleton21Moss2Surtain29McMillian9Hufanga22Jones

Panthers offense · 3WR 1TE

  • QBBryce Young#9 · 158/269 · 1921 yds · 13 TD · 5 INT
  • RBChuba Hubbard#30 · 118 car · 540 yds · 7 TD · 22 rec
  • WRTetairoa McMillan#4 · 42 rec · 569 yds · 2 TD · 65 tgt
  • WRJalen Coker#18 · 27 rec · 364 yds · 3 TD · 44 tgt
  • WRJohn Metchie III#13 · 12 rec · 114 yds · 1 TD · 20 tgt
  • TETommy Tremble#82 · 17 rec · 155 yds · 2 TD · 24 tgt
  • LTRasheed Walker#63
  • LGDamien Lewis#68
  • CLuke Fortner#77
  • RGRobert Hunt#50
  • RTMonroe Freeling#57

Broncos defense · Base 3-4 D

  • RDEEyioma Uwazurike#96 · 15 tackles · 1 sack
  • NTD.J. Jones#93 · 16 tackles · 1 sack · 1 PD
  • LDEZach Allen#99 · 25 tackles · 4.5 sacks · 3 PD
  • WLBJonathon Cooper#0 · 4 tackles
  • SLBNik Bonitto#15 · 17 tackles · 3.5 sacks
  • RILBJustin Strnad#40 · 38 tackles · 0.5 sacks · 2 PD
  • LILBAlex Singleton#49 · 98 tackles · 2 sacks · 2 PD
  • RCBRiley Moss#21 · 24 tackles · 1 INT · 7 PD
  • LCBPat Surtain II#2 · 29 tackles · 2 PD
  • NBJa'Quan McMillian#29 · 25 tackles · 2 sacks · 1 INT · 7 PD
  • SSTalanoa Hufanga#9 · 22 tackles · 1 sack · 2 INT · 3 PD
  • FSBrandon Jones#22 · 54 tackles · 2 INT · 5 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 · CAR offense against DEN defense
StatCAR CAR offFavors CAR · Favors DENDEN DEN def allowsNFL avg
Overall
EPA per play
+0.04#12
-0.03#13+0.00
Success rate
42%#16
40%#744%
Yards per play
5.6#12
5.2#105.4
Explosive play rate
9%#17
9%#159%
Passing
Pass EPA per dropback
+0.05#16
-0.06#6+0.03
Sack rate
8%#22
7%#137%
Running
Run EPA per carry
-0.04#12
-0.02#26-0.08
Yards per carry
4.1#16
4.4#224.1
Money downs
3rd down conversion
40%#18
43%#2241%
Red zone TD rate
67%#12
48%#861%
Targets by position
WR yards per game
181#5
131#9147
TE yards per game
70#4
68#2655
TE targets per game
8.7#8
8.8#277.6
RB receiving yards per game
30#17
48#3132
Where the ball goes · EPA per throwDeep is 15+ air yds

Panthers: EPA per throw

Left
Middle
Right
Deep
+0.306% of throws
+0.654% of throws
+1.196% of throws
Short
-0.1234% of throws
+0.6220% of throws
0.0030% of throws

Broncos: EPA allowed per throw

Left
Middle
Right
Deep
-0.2620 throws
-0.1210 throws
-0.0118 throws
Short
+0.0780 throws
+0.2752 throws
+0.10119 throws

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