Carolina vs. Denver (DEN -10.5, 40.5)
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Carolina vs. Denver - Sunday, October 27
The Carolina Panthers, widely regarded as the worst team in the entire NFL, will head to Mile-High Stadium for Sunday's matchup with a 1-6 record at the bottom of the NFC South. The Broncos are entering Week Eight second in the AFC West with a record of 4-3, just two wins behind the undefeated Kansas City Chiefs, who sit atop the division.
The Panthers are coming off one of the worst losses we've seen this season, a game that made Commanders backup quarterback Marcus Mariota look like an All-Pro talent. After a Jayden Daniels injury early in the game, Mariota came in and threw for 305 yards and 2 touchdowns on 18-of-23 pass attempts against a banged-up Carolina defense.
The 40-7 defeat for the Panthers marked a continuation of their struggles on the defensive side of the ball and their failure to find rhythm on offense. Andy Dalton finished 11 of 16 passing for just 93 yards. Dalton also threw two interceptions, in arguably his worst game for the Panthers since becoming the starter in Week Three. Running back Chuba Hubbard was held to 52 yards on 17 carries, with his only touchdown coming late in the game when the outcome was already decided. The Panthers' defense struggled, allowing 421 yards and failing to stop the Commanders on seven of ten third-down attempts.
The Panthers have allowed the most points through their first seven games of any team in the Super Bowl era. They also picked up a few more injuries this week, with running back/returner Raheem Blackshear leaving with a shoulder injury during the game and tight end Tommy Tremble inactive due to a back issue.
The Broncos, however, have really figured out their offense with rookie quarterback Bo Nix. Denver secured a massive 33-10 victory against the Saints on Thursday for their somewhat surprising fourth win of the season. Javonte Williams was a standout, rushing for two touchdowns, while Cody Barton returned a fumble 52 yards for another score. Quarterback Bo Nix did everything he needed to, passing for 164 yards and rushing for an additional 75 yards, helping the Broncos dominate the game statistically with 389 total yards compared to the Saints' 271.
The Broncos defense, which now ranks third in the NFL in yards allowed per game, with 282.4, overwhelmed the inexperienced rookie quarterback for the Saints, Spencer Rattler, who struggled under pressure. That does not bode well for a Carolina offense that is 28th in points scored per game with 15.7. Denver have the fifth-highest pressure rate with 28.6%, and have the second-most sacks with 28.
Based on last week's performances, it's hard to see an outcome where Carolina walks into Mile High Stadium and steals a win. The Panthers' defense allows the most rushing yards per game across the NFL (162.1) and over 220 passing yards a game. I expect Nix and the Broncos offense to keep it rolling in Week Eight.
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