Winners in six of their last seven games, the Denver Broncos (6-2) face the Carolina Panthers (3-4) in a battle of division leaders this Sunday. Despite their sub-.500 record, the Panthers remain first in the NFC South.
This will be just the tenth time these teams have played in the regular season and just the fifth time in Carolina. The Panthers are 1-2 at home this season, but West Coast teams have historically struggled to travel to the East Coast for early-morning kickoffs.
This Panthers team, coached by Dave Canales with Bryce Young at quarterback, will be a foreign entity for the Broncos, having never faced that combination. In this interesting inter-conference battle, here are some matchups to keep an eye on.
Broncos vs. Panthers key Week 9 matchups
1. Broncos' pass rush vs. Panthers' offensive line
This is where the game could
be won for the Broncos as the Panthers struggle to protect their quarterback. They have allowed 11 sacks in the last two games and 23 on the season. Only the Cleveland Browns have allowed more.
Starting tackle Taylor Moton is out for the season and the team's other tackle, Ikem Okwonu, has yet to play this season after suffering an injury in last year's loss to the Los Angeles Rams in the Wild Card round. That leaves first-round pick Monroe Freeling and former seventh-round pick Rasheed Walker as the starting tackles.
This lines up well for the Broncos, who rank fourth in the league with 23 sacks this season. This could be a game where Nik Bonitto and Jonathon Cooper make a big impact.
2. Riley Moss vs. Jalen Coker
Young and the Panthers have been solid at throwing the ball around this season and the top target on the team is second-year wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan, last year's Offensive Rookie of the Year. With Pat Surtain II likely to be assigned to McMillan, he could very well be in for a quiet day.
But as is the case nearly every week, the Broncos' opponent will attack Riley Moss on the other side of the field. Young will likely look Jalen Coker's way often, looking to exploit Moss.
Coker has had a good season, catching 27 passes for 364 yards and three touchdowns. With 33 receptions being the most he's ever had in a season, you can see how involved he's been in the Panthers' offense this year.
3. Jonah Coleman vs. Panthers' linebackers
The Panthers have been terrible against the run this season, setting up for Jonah Coleman to build on the big game he had against Kansas City last week with an even bigger game this week.
The Panthers have allowed 140.7 yards per game on the ground this season, which ranks 30th in the league. Coleman should be able to get to the second level and challenge linebackers Devin Lloyd and Bobby Okereke to turn short runs into big plays.
If the Broncos can run the ball for chunks of yards in this game, they should have little issue getting a road victory.
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This article originally appeared on Broncos Wire: 3 matchups to watch when Broncos face Panthers on Sunday
