Broncos 28-14 Panthers (Oct. 27, 2024) Game Recap

DENVER — Bo Nix threw three touchdown passes and ran for another and Denver's defense throttled Bryce Young in the Broncos' 28-14 victory Sunday over the injury-plagued Carolina Panthers.

In the best game of his rookie season so far, the Broncos' quarterback threw for 284 yards. He found Nate Adkins from 3 yards and Adam Trautman from 19 yards in the second quarter as the Broncos (5-3) built a 21-7 halftime lead.

The Panthers (1-7), who had a whopping 22 players listed on their injury report and lost two more players on Sunday, lost for the fifth straight season.

Young was 24 for 37 for 224 yards with two TDs and two interceptions.

He wasn't the only Carolina player to miss his mark – the Broncos made it 28-7 after the Panthers missed a 24-point fake punt in the third quarter. Safety Sam Franklin Jr. was wide open, but punter Johnny Hekker airmailed the attempt on fourth-and-six and the Broncos took over.

Four plays later, Nix threw a 9-yard sidearm TD pass to running back Jaleel McLaughlin.

Patrick Surtain II, who scored Carolina's first touchdown, intercepted Young at the Denver 11 on the Panthers' next drive.

Courtland Sutton caught eight of Nix's passes for 100 yards, his first 100-yard game since Week 2 of the 2022 season against Houston. However, he fumbled on his final reception just before the two-minute warning at the 1 when Trevin Wallace shut it out and Shy Tuttle recovered his second fumble of the game.

Young was great in the two-minute drill, driving Carolina 98 yards in 10 plays, which paid off with a 15-yard touchdown toss to Jalen Coker with 18 seconds left.

After Week 2, Young was benched and returned as the Panthers' starting quarterback when Andy Dalton sprained his right thumb in a car accident on Tuesday. Since Dalton didn't practice all week because he couldn't handle the football properly, rookie Jack Plummer served as Young's replacement on Sunday.

Things were going well for Young, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.

After Tuttle recovered Lil'Jordan Humphrey's fumble at midfield on the game's first drive, Young got the Panthers going with a 6-yard touchdown catch from rookie Xavier Legette against Surtain, who was coming back from a concussion he sustained two minutes ago weeks, with a 7-0 lead.

This was not only Young's first touchdown throw of the season, but also the first touchdown throw of his career.

However, as the half progressed, the Panthers only managed one first down and the Broncos began to dominate in all phases.

Nik Bonitto had a sack for the sixth straight time, the Broncos' longest such streak since Von Miller's six-game streak in 2018, and Ja'Quan McMillian intercepted Young in the end zone midway through the fourth quarter.

Young, who fell to 2-17 in his career and 0-3 this season, was without starters Diontae Johnson and Adam Thielen. Johnson, the subject of transfer rumours, was ruled out after missing training all week with a rib injury. Thielen has missed the last five games with a hamstring injury.

Injuries

Panthers: TE Feleipe Franks suffered a concussion in punt coverage and OLB DJ Johnson sprained his right ankle. Both were eliminated at halftime.

Broncos: TE Lucas Kroll left in the fourth quarter with a shoulder injury but returned.

Next

Panthers: Host the New Orleans Saints on Sunday.

Broncos: Visit the Baltimore Ravens on Sunday.

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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL