There’s No Worse Defeat than Self-Defeat: Three Keys to a Panthers Week 12 Win Over the Broncos

There’s no worse defeat than self-defeat.

In Baltimore, the Carolina Panthers were in a favorable position to win. The defense was solid throughout the game, but it was the offense that folded like laundry-only scoring three points as the Ravens won 13-3 in Week 11.

Carolina’s offense committed three turnovers in the fourth quarter last week and the Ravens turned them into 10  unanswered points. The outing was unacceptable and inexcusable. 

For Week 12, the Panthers will host a disappointing Denver Broncos team…a team that they are 1-6 all-time against. In order to make it 2-6 all-time, here are three keys to a Panthers’ win.

Play Up To The Opponent

Granted, this might seem like a given, but playing up to Denver and giving them respect is a valid notion. Panthers interim head coach Steve Wilks alluded to this when he discussed Russell Wilson. In media availability Friday, Wilks said that Wilson was still a “dominant player.”

It’s no secret that Wilson isn’t playing up to expectations in Denver. However, that doesn’t mean that the Panthers can afford to get fooled by Wilson’s stats and the Broncos’ record-especially when they have lost close games recently. The Panthers must bring intensity on both sides of the ball.

Defending The Rush

The Broncos released Melvin Gordon after their Week 11 loss to the Raiders and signed Latavius Murray from the Saints’ practice squad.  Murray, along with Marlon Mack and Devine Ozigbo, form a running back-by-committee situation that the Panthers should take advantage of. Despite Gordon’s habit of fumbling the ball, he scored a rushing touchdown in three of the last four games. The Panthers could attack a vulnerable backfield with blitzes.   

Carolina could take care of Wilson while they’re at it – deploying Frankie Luvu in spy coverage in case Wilson wants to run out of the pocket. He could also shoot up gaps for additional pressure.

Diversify the Offense

The Panthers, predictably, will establish the run first. That’s a given. However, they need to make it a point to take risks downfield. The Panthers can’t afford to make themselves one dimensional. Luckily for the Carolina, Sam Darnold had some of his best games as a Jet against the Broncos. In those matchups, Darnold threw for three touchdowns and QB his rating was 82.0.  If Darnold can test the Broncos’ pass defense with shallow routs to move the chains before the go routes, that rating will rise and put the Panthers in a position to win.