Shots fired at the Carolina Panthers!
The Denver Broncos took the field on Sunday afternoon for their game against the Carolina Panthers as an 11-point favorite, and they walked out with a 14-point win, which means that bettors, fans in Denver, and the entire Broncos organization alike should've been pleased with the effort and outcome. However, after the game, it was clear that head coach Sean Payton wasn't so pleased.
Following the 28-14 win, Sean Payton was asked about the nine consecutive possessions his defense went without allowing a point after the Panthers scored a touchdown on the opening drive of the game. Rather than offering gushing praise for his team's effort, Payton instead commented that he wished Denver would've finished better — they allowed a Bryce Young touchdown pass to Jalen Coker with 23 seconds to go — before taking a (warranted) shot at the offense of the Carolina Panthers.
What's disheartening if you're a Panthers fan is, given the caliber of defense they faced on Sunday afternoon, this actually wasn't a terrible offensive performance. Carolina has had four games this season in which they scored less than 14 points, and three games where they finished with fewer total yards than they did against Denver. Bryce Young, making his first start since Week 2, finished with over 200 yards passing for the sixth time in his career, and notched his third multi-touchdown performance.
But with that said, the Denver Broncos defense has been operating at a tremendously high level. It makes sense that Sean Payton would be disappointed that they didn't deliver a lights out performance against Bryce Young and the Panthers.
Stingy defense sparking best Broncos start since 2016
At 5-3, the Denver Broncos are off to their best start since going 6-2 in 2016. Broncos fans will remember that this team flamed out over the second half of the season, finishing 9-7 and missing out on the postseason for the first time since 2010. But based on what we've seen through eight games, there's reason to believe things will be different this time around.
Not only is rookie quarterback Bo Nix playing far better than anyone would've expected he would this early in his career, but thus far, the Broncos defense, which is being coached up by former Denver head coach Vance Joseph, has shown no cracks and no signs that they aren't for real.
Pro Football Focus ranks three Broncos cornerbacks (Levi Wallace, Riley Moss and Pat Surtain II) in the top 15 at their position. Brandon Jones is the 4th-highest graded safety. Justin Strnad and Cody Barton are both top 25 linebackers, and Malcolm Roach and John Franklin-Myers are both top 25 interior defensive linemen. As an entire unit, PFF ranks the Broncos defense as the 2nd best in the NFL, trailing only the Detroit Lions.
