Mile High Roundtable: Broncos at Panthers | Week 14 | Predictions & Picks
James Campbell (@JamesC_MHH) 7-5: I'm a big fan of what Matt Rhule is building in Carolina. He's changing the culture around and it's easy to appreciate where they are heading as a team. The Panthers struggle to put up points and on third downs, which suits the Denver Broncos defense, but even without Christian McCaffrey, their run game remains potent enough to present a challenge. The Broncos offense, is well, offensive. Denver ranks dead last in the DVOA metric per Football Outsiders. For what it's worth, at minus-17, they are also last in turnover differential, so it is still hard to trust the passing game against a pretty decent Panthers secondary. If the Broncos have two interceptions they probably lose this one. Look for Jeremy Chinn, nephew of Steve Atwater, to make an impact against the good guys in his first game against Denver.
Pick: Panthers 23, Broncos 17
Josh Carney (@ByJoshCarney) 7-5: At some point, the Broncos have to get back on track. There's no better week than this for the Orange and Blue. Carolina is well-coached, but they're missing some key offensive pieces, which should bode well for a short-handed Denver defense. Drew Lock should get back on track, and Jerry Jeudy should be the main benefactor on Sunday. Look for an explosive day.
Pick: Broncos 30, Panthers 20
Keith Cummings (@KeithC_NFL) 6-6: Perhaps the Panthers being without McCaffrey is the key factor in this match up. On the flip side, the Broncos have their own headaches to contend with at cornerback. Last week against, the Broncos defense held the fort well in the red zone. If Denver can do that again and get 23 points on offense, it wins this one.
Pick: Broncos 23, Panthers 21
Carl Dumler (@CarlDumlerMHH) 8-4: The Broncos are finally catching some breaks with the Panthers down some of their top players on offense. I expect a defensive battle that sees a nice strip-sack by Bradley Chubb in the second half that leads to a short field touchdown for the Broncos. I also expect that Jerry Jeudy has a nice game with Pat Shurmur working hard to get the ball his way. All of that leads to a nice road victory for the Broncos.
Pick: Broncos 24, Panthers 13
Thomas Hall (@ThomasHallNFL) 6-6: The Broncos have shown us that they can beat below-average teams this season. The Panthers, without McCaffrey, look vulnerable even though the Broncos are without key players. If the Broncos can avoid the mistakes that have plagued them all season, they will win this game.
Pick: Broncos 27, Panthers 23
Chad Jensen (@ChadNJensen) 7-5: I'm opening this up with a not-so-bold prediction. The Lock-to-Jeudy connection will go off the chain in Carolina. The squeaky wheel is about to get greased. On the road against a lackluster defense, Lock manages to play a proficient game at quarterback, feeding his playmakers and taking some of the pressure are off of his shoulders. Meanwhile, Melvin Gordon continues to trend upward with a big game on the ground while the less-than-100% Phillip Lindsay treads water. I also have a feeling half-forgotten tight end Noah Fant is going to grab his first touchdown since Week 2. Vic Fangio's defense gets after Teddy Bridgewater and manages to force a couple of bad throws that are picked off by a depleted Broncos secondary. Bradley Chubb posts a two-sack game and the Broncos win in Carolina.
Pick: Broncos 23, Panthers 16
Trevor Judge (@TrevorJudge) 8-4: On paper, this is a very winnable game for the Broncos, especially following a surprisingly competitive one-possession loss against the 11-1 Chiefs last week. The fact that McCaffrey will miss this game is also a huge plus for Denver. However, I am not ready to start picking the Broncos in any games until I start to see the offense consistently move the ball and score points. The book is by no means closed on Lock, but he has to start making better decisions and limiting his turnovers. Until that happens, it’s hard to confidently pick this team to win, regardless of how well this undermanned defense has been playing.
Pick: Panthers 20, Broncos 16
Zack Kelberman (@KelbermanNFL) 7-5: It seems like every week I'm predicting The Week of Drew Lock. But this is the easiest game Denver has left on its docket and Lock is facing a mostly harmless defense that hasn't intercepted a pass in four straight games. Game flow could work in the Broncos' favor as their defense stifles Bridgewater and the McCaffrey-less Carolina offense. I envision three passing touchdowns — including one to the unhappy rookie Jeudy — en route to a victory.
Pick: Broncos 24, Panthers 13
Nick Kendell (@NickKendellMHH) 7-5: The Broncos are coming off of a confidence booster after playing the defending Super Bowl Champions as closely as they did. The Panthers are injured and dealing with COVID, but are a well-coached team overall. Coach Rhule will have Carolina back in a few years, but not just yet. Denver has enough talent to win this game, but can Lock not give Christmas gifts to the opposing defense? Therein lies the biggest question.
Pick: Panthers 24, Broncos 23
Bob Morris (@BobMorrisSports) 9-3: The Panthers will be without a few players and their defense, while it has its strengths, is still a young unit. The Panthers are particularly vulnerable to the run, which could be good news for Gordon and Lindsay. Carolina's offense has been quite good this year, but the players missing in the lineup could have an impact. What this game will really come down to is limiting mistakes — the Panthers have lost 13 turnovers on the season while the Broncos have lost 28. The Broncos simply cannot afford to turn the ball over multiple times in this game. If Denver can avoid turnovers, it has the talent to come away with a win. While the Broncos fell short against the Chiefs last week, they'll pull this one out. Denver just have to win the turnover battle.
Pick: Broncos 24, Panthers 21
Luke Patterson (@LukePattersonLP) 8-4: The Broncos are out of control. Players are turning on each other and against the coaching staff before even getting on the field. Even though the Panthers have an identical 4-8 record, they're a competitive, young, talented football team. Denver's offense will continue to turn the ball over and underutilize the hot running back in another loss. If Fangio loses out the rest of the year, he’ll have the exact same record as Vance Joseph through two seasons as head coach.
Pick: Panthers 24, Broncos 16
Lance Sanderson (@SandersonMHH) 8-4: If there is more of a coin-flip game than this one, I'm not sure what it is. Denver matches up well with the Panthers secondary, so look for Jeudy to have a day. However, with A.J. Bouye suspended, Essang Bassey and Bryce Callahan on injured reserve, the Broncos have their hands full with Robbie Anderson. Give me Carolina because of home-field advantage, but it really wouldn't surprise me to see the Broncos snag a win here.
Pick: Panthers 24, Broncos 23
Erick Trickel (@ErickTrickel) 6-6: The Panthers are likely to be without D.J. Moore and McCaffrey which will help out an overperforming Broncos defense. The question is, can the Broncos offense do enough against the Panthers defense? Carolina is not a good run defense so a big day either by Gordon or Lindsay can be a big help. If Dante Jackson misses another game, that's a big boost to Tim Patrick and Lock, but Jeudy should be able to do work on the other side — provided Lock finds him. All the Broncos need to do is run the offense and stay within the scheme and they can pull out a win.
Pick: Broncos 20, Panthers 16
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