The Denver Broncos are coming to Charlotte today with a slim hope of exceeding the 11 sacks that the Carolina Panthers have surrendered in the past two weeks. To figure out how slim that chance was—or not—and if Sean Payton has already worn out his welcome in Denver, I spoke with Laurie Lattimore-Volkmann over at Mile High Report. Here’s what she had to say about that, Bo Nix’s struggles, and more.
Bo Nix has not been having the season that many in Broncos country have been hoping for. What has held
him back and how will he look to step his game up against the Panthers?
A lot has been made of Bo’s offseason ankle surgery/recovery for his slow start to the season. I won’t discount that that has likely played a role, despite him and the coaches saying he was feeling “just as mobile” at the beginning of the season as he had before the injury. Anyone who has competed in sports knows there is a mental hurdle to get past when coming back from an injury. But my guess is that it was a combination of many things, beginning with a little hesitation leftover from the injury, learning new terminology when Davis Webb did the play-calling, and playing the first six games against at least five of the top defenses in the league. A much smaller factor, but still one I believe impacted his play, is that Bo became a new dad this summer. Anyone who has kids and can remember that first year knows that you don’t get anywhere near enough sleep. Some may laugh at that reason, but I believe it’s impacted him a little. Watching Bo at the press conferences, it’s clear he is exhausted and has zero f**** to give any naysayers. That’s what being a new parent does to you!
Sean Payton is not a name that is greeted with respect or warmth in the Carolinas. How has his reception been so far in Denver?
A winning coach is always welcomed with open arms. Payton probably had to win over a few fans initially, but given the sh*tshow that preceded him, it didn’t take much. He runs a tight ship, has great vision for the short and long-term plan for the team and has produced a winning product every season. And given that the rookie QB he chose to lead the team has worked out well, it means Payton is quite popular here.
The story of the season so far for the Carolina Panthers so far has been injuries. The most impactful have been along their offensive line. Does Denver try to generate pressure from the edge, the interior, from blitzing, or all of the above?
Panthers fans would like to know which weakness to be most afraid of on Sunday. Unfortunately for Bryce Young, there’s not much of a weakness for your depleted O-line to take advantage of. Vance Joseph is phenomenal at disguising looks and bringing pressure – which is a dangerous combo. He doesn’t blitz a ton, but it’s generally effective when he does. Zach Allen and Malcolm Roach will generate a lot of pressure up the middle, allowing Nik Bonitto and Jonathan Cooper a good chance at the QB. And even when they don’t get the sack, they can still rattle the quarterback enough to cause trouble for your offense. The defensive weakness to exploit is the linebackers, who are good tacklers but not particularly fast, as well as a slew of backup corners. But to do that, Young has to get to the receivers first.
Similarly, the secondary has been gutted by injuries, with three of their top four corners already on injured reserve and the fourth having yet to participate in practice this week. That has allowed the Panthers to surrender some historic rushing totals. Have Denver’s rushing struggles this season come from trouble with their offensive line or from their running backs not being able to break tackles in the secondary?
That is a great question and if you can figure it out, Broncos Country would be thrilled. Every offseason we buy the hype that our running backs will finally be the group to take our run game to the next level. And every season, it seems like we spend a lot of energy in post-game commentary wondering where the run game is. I believe the play-calling/scheme is the main culprit. But we also haven’t put a ton of draft or free agent capital into the position, so there is usually a lower ceiling with our RB room than we’d like to admit (which is why early rumors of Jonathan Taylor being traded to Denver had a lot of fans salivating). But there is a lot of hope for rookie Jonah Coleman and even second-year back RJ Harvey if he/they can stay healthy. If only Payton and Webb can commit to the run and create effective plays for it, there might be a chance.
At 6-2, the Broncos are riding pretty high at the moment. How confident are their fans in a win in Charlotte? Do you have a score prediction?
I think most fans are highly confident but also not immune to the fear of a trap game and/or the reality of how Broncos tend to play East Coast games (they haven’t played particularly well in the 1 p.m. EST slot)! But as long as the Broncos don’t beat themselves in the first half, I think the odds of a win are quite good. I’ll go with Denver 28, Carolina 17.
