This week I had a chance to exchange questions with Walker Clement of SBNation’s Cat Scratch Reader about our upcoming matchup. This is no SB50 rematch but there are a lot of good storylines to tackle (see what I did there?)
And so we did!
The irony is that Walker now lives in Colorado and I’m in the Carolinas…what are the odds? He had fantastic answers to my questions so enjoy this extra insight into the 2026 Panthers (and thank him in the comments while convincing him to become at least a secondary
Broncos fan!)
MHR – Carolina has swung wildly this year with wins of 34-3 at Atlanta and 25-14 at Philadelphia, then a 43-13 loss to Tampa Bay. Which version of the Panthers can Denver expect Sunday?
WC: Smart money is on the “vs Tampa Bay” version of the Panthers for a number of reasons, but the only real important one is the health of their current roster. The Carolina Panthers are currently without their RT1, LT1, LG1, CB1, CB2, CB3, CB4, DT3, OLB 1, OLB 2, ILB 2, RB2, RB3, and WR3. Two of those guys missed last week’s game against the Packers, the rest have been missing since sometime between September and January. The depth chart is rough right now. Of the guys who are playing, their current starting left tackle (Rasheed Walker), center (Luke Fortner), and right guard (Robert Hunt) are each leading the league in individual pressures allowed from their respective positions. It is no accident that Bryce Young was sacked 11 times in five days last week. Fixing the protection is a priority for them right now. The progress they have made since last Thursday could well decide the game this week.
MHR – Bryce Young has completed 59-percent of his passes, thrown for 1,921 yards, 13 touchdowns, and just 5 interceptions on the season. He is doing well on first down and is moving the chains early and often, spreading the ball around. As Denver can be known for giving up big plays, which receiving threats should scare Denver’s DBs the most?
WC: Reigning Offensive Rookie of the Year Tetairoa McMillan is your obvious first threat. Opposite him at wide receiver is Jalen Coker, an equally dangerous receiver whose precise routes and excellent hands make him a threat all over the field. After that is tight end Darren Waller. Each of them get a first down on over 50% of their receptions and nearly 30% of their targets. They have accounted for eight of Young’s 13 touchdowns and have season long receptions of 32 (McMIllan), 51 (Coker), and 50 (Waller) yards. You’ll hear their names often if Young can get more than two seconds between snap and pressure on the average down. Such was not the case in the team’s last two consecutive losses.
MHR – The Panthers’ third-down efficiency has been less than optimal, mostly due to O-line play. In just seven games, Young has been sacked almost as many times as he was in 2025. How will the Panthers try to remedy that against a stout Broncos’ defensive line that puts a lot of pressure on the QB, both up the middle and from the edge? Which defender worries you the most?
WC: You could line up anyone of your readers opposite the Panthers offensive line and I’d be worried for Young right now. 11 sacks in two games in five days has been completely demoralizing. Injuries have played a huge part, dating back to a torn bicep in 2025 for guard Robert Hunt that he has clearly not recovered fully from. That is an excuse that can explain recent games, but it doesn’t threaten to win any future ones. The one bright spot is that the Panthers longtime utility lineman, Brady Christensen, is expected to return this week from injured reserve. He can plug in at any of the five spots on the offensive line and would be expected to be an instant upgrade at all of them.
Of course, we also got RT1 Taylor Moton back from injured reserve in the Buccaneers game to much the same expectation, only for Walker to get tackled into his leg and break his femur–potentially ending his career as a Carolina Panther. Bear with us if we are not brimming with optimism at the moment.
MHR – Speaking of QB pressure, Devin Lloyd has been your X-factor on defense, especially for a unit suffering so many injuries. The fifth-year pro already has 69 tackles, 2 interceptions, and 2 sacks on the season. How will he and the defense rattle Bo Nix and our fragile offense the most?
WC: Lloyd has been excellent in everything asked of him. He can blitz, he can cover, he can stuff the run. Former defensive coordinator Ejiro Evero’s scheme was often described as overly complex and Lloyd stepped in and mastered it this offseason as a marquee free agent signing. This is the Panthers’ first week without Evero and the theme has apparently been to simplify the defense so that players can play faster. Will that accelerate Lloyd or nerf the benefit his previous acumen provided? I’m anxious to find out but, unfortunately, I do not have an educated guess as to which will prove true.
MHR – The Broncos’ running game has been really hit or miss, with a few splash plays mixed in with a lot of short gains. But the Panthers’ run defense has surrendered over 140 rushing yards per game. Which team’s weak spot wins out on Sunday – our run game or your run defense?
WC: 140 rushing yards per game looks bad, but it is misleading. The Panthers held Bijan Robinson to 72 yards and Jahmyr Gibbs to 46 yards. They just also gave up 291 yards to the Chicago Bears and 258 yards to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. When it rains, it pours in the Carolinas. Not all of those totals, good or bad, can be explained away by injuries. There are a lot of question marks to be addressed by interim defensive coordinator Todd Wash and I struggle to believe that he is going to answer all of them perfectly. I do think, however, that he is going to start by focusing on the obvious problems and selling out to stop the run. This game will be a sloppy shoot out, if the Panthers have their way, and Brady Christensen will help the team shore up Young’s protection long enough to give a desperate team a chance. Who wins that? I change my mind every hour, but I do believe the Panthers, on their best day, are capable of beating the Broncos on theirs. My worry is that the Panthers best days may be behind them given the current state of their roster.
Bonus Question: What did you think of the firing of Ejiro Evero? Were the problems on defense his fault? Do you agree it was the right move?
WC: I think the Evero firing was both the right call and likely to have little effect on the season. On the one hand, he was responsible for most of the worst rushing performances surrendered in the history of our young franchise. On the other hand, they’re not installing a new scheme in Week 9 and they’re not set to return any of the nine defensive players set to miss the game against the Broncos who have started multiple games for them this season. When you lean on a preseason caliber roster you get preseason caliber results.The remaining eight weeks in the 2026 season could be fascinating for Panthers fans. We could watch head coach Dave Canales do anything from winning coach of the year to getting fired depending on what he does with what is left of his roster. It’s such an exciting time to be us again.
