The Denver Broncos held off a late rally from the Carolina Panthers to win 26-21 on Sunday at Bank of America Stadium, improving to 7-2 on the season. Bo Nix threw for 237 yards and two touchdowns, and Pat Bryant’s 26-yard touchdown catch with 5:41 left in the fourth quarter put Denver ahead for good in the Broncos vs Panthers score that extended the team’s winning streak.
Carolina answered with a touchdown of its own, but the Panthers ran out of time and fell to 3-5. Bryce Young threw for 276 yards and three touchdowns in the loss, with Darren Waller leading all receivers with eight catches for 90 yards and a score.
Takeaways From Denver’s Win Over Carolina
Denver’s fast start set the tone
The Broncos scored on each of their first two possessions, a Wil Lutz 26-yard field goal and a 3-yard touchdown pass from Nix to Courtland Sutton, to take a 10-0 lead into the second quarter. Lutz added a 48-yard field goal with four seconds left in the half to push the margin to 13-7 after Carolina had cut in with a Tommy Tremble touchdown catch.
Carolina’s third-down struggles kept Denver in control
The Panthers converted just 3 of 10 third-down attempts despite piling up 353 total yards, five more than Denver managed. Carolina moved the ball between the 20s but had to lean on four 4th-down conversions in five tries just to stay competitive, a sign of how often early drives stalled before reaching the end zone.
Penalties and a turnover margin tilted the margin
Carolina was flagged 13 times for 119 yards, compared to eight penalties for 50 yards on Denver, and the Panthers also turned the ball over twice to Denver’s one giveaway. Those two extra Carolina miscues, a lost fumble by Bryce Young and an interception, came at moments the Panthers could not afford given how tightly the fourth quarter played out.
Player Of The Game: Pat Bryant
Bryant finished with four catches for 56 yards and the decisive touchdown, a 26-yard strike from Nix that put Denver up 26-14 with 5:41 remaining. The score came one series after Jonah Coleman’s 9-yard touchdown run had given the Broncos a 19-14 lead, and it proved to be the answer Carolina could not match despite Tetairoa McMillan’s 4-yard touchdown catch with 3:05 left.
Broncos Vs Panthers By The Numbers
- Nix completed 25 of 37 passes for 237 yards, two touchdowns and one interception, posting a 91.8 passer rating.
- Young completed 28 of 39 passes for 276 yards and three touchdowns but was sacked three times for 19 yards lost.
- Jonah Coleman carried 17 times for 57 yards and a touchdown, while Chuba Hubbard led all rushers with 79 yards on 16 carries.
- Denver converted 6 of 10 third downs compared to Carolina’s 3 of 10.
- Wil Lutz made both of his field goal attempts, including a 48-yarder, and went 2 for 2 on extra points for eight total points.
What’s Next
Denver sits atop the AFC West at 7-2 with the best winning percentage in the division. Carolina drops to 3-5 and remains tied with New Orleans near the bottom of the NFC South.
Don't stop here
Every Score. Every Story. One Home.
Breaking sports, entertainment and news from across the Total Apex network, updated all day.
Get the Full Story →
