The Denver Broncos take on the Carolina Panthers on Sunday for their Week 9 matchup. If they can achieve a victory, they will be 7-2 before their bye week. In order to win and keep their spot atop the AFC West, the Broncos need these three players to play at a high level.
Nik Bonitto — Edge Rusher
Finding a way to rattle Bryce Young is one of my big keys to the game. So far this season, the Panthers’ offensive line has struggled to protect him. He has already been sacked 23 times—almost as many as last season—and he is getting
pressured on over 40-percent of his drop backs.
Edge rusher Nik Bonitto is one of the players who needs to show up big on Sunday. After posting back-to-back seasons with double-digit sacks, the fifth-year pro is having a slower start to the 2026 season. Compared to 2025, Bonitto is experiencing a dropoff across the board relative to sacks, hurries, quarterback hits, and pressures.
Left tackle Rasheed Walker has been a liability for Carolina thus far. More often than not, Bonitto will be tasked with going up against him on Sunday. If he can have a big day and win his one-on-one opportunities versus Walker, that should definitely help slow down the Panthers’ offense which ranks Top 10 in many respects.
Malcolm Roach — Defensive Lineman
The Broncos boast a deep rotation along their defensive line. That has kept their line fresh and taken a big burden off of All-Pro Zach Allen’s shoulders. However, their depth will be tested on Sunday with Eyioma Uwazurike being ruled out. That means someone else is going to have to step up and be a dominant force in the trenches.
I’ve got a feeling Malcolm Roach will be that player. In eight games, the seventh-year pro has 24 tackles, 3.5 sacks, 5 tackles for loss, and 12 quarterback hits. Roach has always been a quality run defender, but his ascent as a pass rusher has been a great development for the team.
Being able to put pressure on Young (as mentioned above) will be critical. Though limiting running back Chuba Hubbard’s impact will be important too. Hubbard is on pace for a career season. He sports a great 4.6 yard per carry average and has 540 rushing yards with 5 rushing touchdowns on the season. Denver will need Roach to be quick off the snap and make some plays in Carolina’s backfield to slow him down.
J.K. Dobbins — Running Back
In a few articles this week, I’ve advocated for rookie running back Jonah Coleman to be the focal point of the Broncos’ rushing attack against the Panthers. Carolina’s defense has been awful stopping opposing rushing attacks in the first half of the season. That’s why it makes sense to pound the rock on the road.
Even if I’m bullish on Coleman deserving a majority of the reps, that doesn’t negate this being a big game for Dobbins. It absolutely is. He has struggled this season and is sporting a career low 3.3 yard per carry average. If he can’t find a way to improve going up against one of the NFL’s worst run defenses, when can we reasonably assume he will get on track? Denver needs a strong running game to be legitimate Super Bowl contenders.
Earlier in the week, Head Coach Sean Payton mentioned he was pleased with what he had seen from Dobbins thus far. However, rumors have swirled for weeks that the Broncos may be in the market to add to their stable of backs prior to the November 10th. How Denver’s run game looks, in particular Dobbins, against the Panthers might have an impact on whether or not they are buyers at the position before the deadline.
