The Carolina Panthers got the ball to start the second half after having cut the Denver Broncos lead to one score before the first half ended.
Bryce Young opened up with a 21-yard heater to Darren Waller for an immediate first down across midfield. Chubba Hubbard then broke through the line for a nine yard gain on the second play. Denver’s defense looking a bit like Swiss cheese on their last two drives.
The pass rush had been nonexistent all day and Young was getting more comfortable by the minute
over the last two Panthers’ drives. Denver’s defense also began committing some dumb penalties of their own on the opening second half drive. They would cap the drive on a third and long dart to Waller with JL Skinner in coverage to take their first lead of the game.
Panthers 14, Broncos 13.
The Broncos got a first down, but the drive unraveled quickly from there. Ben Powers whiffed on a block to set them back and that was all she wrote. Jeremy Crawshaw added a booming 63-yard punt to flip field position nicely, though.
Denver’s defense had zero answer for Bryce Young since the Bo Nix interception. He would find every open receiver and avoid every pressure to lead the Panthers looked to be on their third straight touchdown drive to extend their lead to eight points as they continued to dominate Denver for half the game up until this point.
However, a tipped pass was snatched up off the ground by Devon Key in the end zone for the improbable interception to keep the Broncos alive.
Jonah Coleman took the first Broncos’ snap for seven yards, then Nix found Pat Bryant open at the tickets who broke a tackle to turn up field for a solid gain. Denver’s offense still couldn’t find a way to get out of their own way on the drive, but the quarter would end with a Panthers’ penalty that gave Denver a fresh set of downs after being put into a second a very long on that drive.
