The Denver Broncos beat the Carolina Panthers 26-21 at Bank of America Stadium, and they won it on third down and at the penalty flag. Denver converted 6 of 10 third downs while Carolina managed 3 of 10.
The Panthers had the better day by the yardage. They gained more total yards and averaged 5.7 yards a play to Denver's 4.8. They also gave back 119 yards in penalties, more than twice Denver's total, and those flags handed the Broncos 6 first downs.
How It Happened
Denver scored on its first trip into the box score, a 26-yard Wil Lutz field goal at 11:09 of the first quarter. Late in the quarter, Bo Nix found Courtland Sutton for a 3-yard touchdown.
Carolina answered with 1:27 left in the half when Bryce Young hit Tommy Tremble from 10 yards out. Lutz then hit from 48 yards with 4 seconds left in the half to send the Broncos into the break ahead.
Young put Carolina in front early in the third, finding Darren Waller for a 15-yard touchdown at 11:30. Neither team scored again in the quarter.
Denver took control in the fourth. Jonah Coleman ran in from 9 yards at 10:17 to retake the lead, though the two-point pass failed. Nix then hit Pat Bryant for a 26-yard touchdown at 5:41.
Carolina pulled back within a score when Young found Tetairoa McMillan from 4 yards at 3:05. That was the last scoring of the day.
Key Performers
Bo Nix, DEN: TD passes of 3 yards to Courtland Sutton and 26 yards to Pat Bryant
Jonah Coleman, DEN: 9-yard rushing TD
Wil Lutz, DEN: Field goals of 26 and 48 yards
Bryce Young, CAR: TD passes of 10 yards to Tommy Tremble, 15 yards to Darren Waller and 4 yards to Tetairoa McMillan
Young accounted for every Carolina touchdown. He also absorbed 3 sacks for 19 yards, while Denver's passer went down once.
By the Numbers
Total yards: DEN 312 – CAR 353
Passing: DEN 25-37, 230 YDS – CAR 28-39, 257 YDS
Rushing: DEN 27 ATT, 82 YDS – CAR 20 ATT, 96 YDS
Third down: DEN 6-10 – CAR 3-10
Fourth down: DEN 0-0 – CAR 3-3
Red zone: DEN 2-4 – CAR 3-4
Penalties: DEN 8-50 – CAR 13-119
Turnovers: DEN 1 – CAR 2
Possession: DEN 31:55 – CAR 28:05
Carolina ran the ball better, at 4.8 yards a carry against Denver's 3.0, and finished more of its red-zone trips. The Panthers went 3 for 3 on fourth down, which kept drives alive that third down could not.
That is the story of the loss. Carolina kept needing extra chances, and the penalties and the extra turnover took away more of them than the fourth-down calls gave back.
What It Means
Denver moves to 7-2. The Broncos are 4-0 at home and now 3-2 on the road, so every loss they have taken this season has come away from home.
That makes this one worth more than a five-point margin suggests. Denver did not play its best game, ran poorly and still left Charlotte with a win, which is what a team with a clean home record needs to do on the road.
Carolina falls to 3-5 and 1-3 at home. The Panthers moved the ball well enough to win, but a team that commits 13 penalties at home is giving away the one edge the schedule hands it.