Carolina heads west to ‘The Mile High City’ to take on the Denver Broncos in Week Eight for the first time since Week One of the 2016 season. This marks the Panthers third matchup against AFC West opponents this season, leaving a contest against the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 12. Carolina holds a 14-15 all-time record against the AFC West.
All-time, this will mark the eighth regular-season matchup between the two clubs with Denver leading 5-2. The Panthers will look for their first ever win in Denver, having lost the previous three games played there. The two teams squared off in Super Bowl 50, with Denver taking the crown, 24-10. The Panthers were victorious in the last matchup, with Carolina winning 23-10 in Week 12 of the 2022 season in Bank of America Stadium.
Carolina enters the contest with a 1-6 record after falling to the Washington Commanders on the road, 40-7. This will mark the Panthers second consecutive road game before returning home in Week Nine to take on the New Orleans Saints.
Denver (4-3) returns home after a Week Seven victory against the New Orleans Saints. This will mark their third game against NFC South opponents, having defeated the Buccaneers in Week. Three prior to their victory against the Saints last week. Led by second-year head coach Sean Payton, the Broncos have won
four of their last five games.
The Matchup
About Carolina
- RB Chuba Hubbard enters Week Eight ranked fifth league-wide with 537 rushing yards and ranked 10th among league running backs with 630 scrimmage yards. After posting just 14 rushing yards in Week One, Hubbard has rushed for at least 50 yards in six straight games. He recorded 52 yards on 17 carries and a touchdown against the Commanders in Week Seven, marking his third rushing touchdown in the last four games.
- Rookie TE Ja’Tavion Sanders led all Panthers receivers in Week Seven, hauling in all six targets for 61 yards. Sanders ranks second among tight ends taken in the 2024 draft with 19 receptions for 151 yards. The past two weeks alone, Sanders is tied for sixth among all NFL tight ends with 11 receptions and ranks ninth with 110 receiving yards.
- Rookie LB Trevin Wallace continues his stellar play, entering Week Eight ranked fifth among all NFL rookies with 33 total tackles. Since making his first career start in Week Five against the Bears, Wallace is tied for fourth league-wide with 31 total tackles. He finished Week Seven with seven total tackles, his third-straight game with five or more tackles. Wallace ranks first in franchise history with the most tackles in a player’s first three starts (31).
- In Week Seven against the Commanders, fourth-year CB Jaycee Horn recorded the 20th pass defensed of his career. This was also his seventh of the season and fifth in the last four games. Against the Bengals in Week Four, Horn notched a career-high eight tackles (seven solo) with one pass defensed and one tackle for loss.
About Denver
- Since Week 4, the Broncos have scored on eight of their 10 drives that have entered the red zone. Their 80.0 percent red zone efficiency in that span is the fourth highest in the NFL, behind only Cincinnati (87.5), Baltimore (85.7) and Detroit (81.8).
- This season, the Broncos have totaled 145 points on the offensive side of the ball while only allowing 106 points total defensively. Their +39 points differential is the fourth-highest in the AFC—and ninth highest in the NFL—this year, behind only Buffalo (+63), Pittsburgh (+60) and Kansas City (+43).
- The Broncos’ rushing attack has become one of the best in the NFL since Week 3, totaling 706 yards on the ground on 140 attempts (5.0 avg.) with five scores. The team’s 706 rushing yards at the fourth most in the NFL in that span, behind Baltimore (1,140), Washington (805), San Francisco (767) and Tampa Bay (764).
- Through seven career games, quarterback Bo Nix has completed 137-of-224 passes (61.2%) for 1,246 yards with five touchdowns and five interceptions (74.4 rtg.). His 137 completions are the most by a Broncos rookie quarterback while his 61.1 completion percentage is the third highest among that group.
Connections
Panthers CB Chau Smith-Wade grew up in Denver, CO. SA Jim Caldwell coached wide receivers at Colorado from 1982-84 and Saf Bert Watts was a defensive intern for the Buffaloes from 2010-11.
Broncos CB Ja’Quan McMillian (Winston-Salem), RB Javonte Williams (Wallace), RB
Jaleel McLaughlin (Marshville) are all from North Carolina. McMillian (2019-21) went
to East Carolina, Williams (2018-20) attended North Carolina, LB Justin Strnad (2015- 19) went to Wake Forest, and TE Nate Adkins (2022) played at South Carolina.
Panthers vs Broncos
All-Time Series (Regular Season): 7 matchups | Denver leads 5-2
Last Regular Season Game: 11/27/22 | Denver 10 at Carolina 23
Series Record in Denver: Denver leads 3-0
How to Watch
Kickoff: 4:25 p.m. ET CBS: Play by Play – Chris Lewis; Analyst – Jason McCourty; Sideline – Amanda Guerra
Radio: WRFX 99.7FM in Charlotte market – Jim Szoke (Play by Play), Kurt Coleman (Color), Kevin Donnalley (Color), Sharon Thorsland (Sideline)
Per Release
UNC Continues to Shine into the Final Stretch