3 Sad-But-True Takeaways From Broncos' 26-21 Win Over Panthers

The Denver Broncos pulled off another one-score victory, setting a new NFL record, and storming back in the fourth quarter to defeat the Carolina Panthers 26-21.

It was a weird game for the Broncos, with the Panthers moving the ball almost at will in the second and third quarters, but two takeaways proved to be the difference. Once again, the Broncos' defense came up big in key moments to help get to 7-2 entering the bye.

The Broncos now get two weeks to hopefully get some of their injured key defenders back, including three of their top five defensive backs.

But what did we learn from the Broncos' seventh win of the season? Let's break down my key takeaways.

Broncos' Defense: Inconsistent but Reliable in the Clutch

Chuba Hubbard. — Chuba Hubbard gets tackled by Alex Singleton. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

This defense has had its fair share of issues, especially against the run. The Broncos have struggled to limit explosive runs and have been a boom-or-bust defense on the ground, but they've also had many coverage breakdowns and lapses that have led to big plays.

Injuries are part of Denver's issue, and they definitely impacted this game, with both starting safeties out and Riley Moss leaving the game early with a concussion.

The Broncos' defense struggled for a long stretch of this game. Many fans felt the game was going the Panthers' way, but the defense came up big when it mattered most.

Devon Key shut down a long drive that ended at the goal line, picking off Bryce Young in the end zone. Key may not have realized it was an interception, but Sean Payton knew it and threw the challenge flag.

Perfect place at the perfect time!

Devon Key with an improbable INT for the @Broncos!

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— NFL (@NFL) November 8, 2026

That brought the ball out to the 20-yard line, and the Broncos' offense answered with a 14-play, 80-yard drive, punctuated by a Jonah Coleman touchdown to take the lead in the fourth quarter, though they missed the two-point conversion.

After that touchdown drive, the Broncos' defense got off the field quickly, including netting their first sack of the game on third down. Another big moment that helped keep the momentum in Denver’s favor, gave the defense more time to rest, and put the offense back on the field to keep wearing down the Panthers.

Bo Nix followed that up with another touchdown drive, connecting with Pat Bryant on a 26-yard scoring strike to take a 26-14 lead with just under six minutes to go. The Panthers then responded with their own touchdown drive, narrowing the Broncos' lead to five points.

The Broncos narrowly avoided catastrophe when Nix and Coleman botched a toss play, but the rookie running back fell on the ball to secure possession. The Broncos had to punt, and that set the defense up once again with its back against the wall.

That's when Nik Bonitto made a game-sealing play by strip-sacking Young and recovering the fumble. Ball game.

NIK BONITTO WHAT A PLAY! BRONCOS BALL!

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— NFL (@NFL) November 8, 2026

However, explosive plays hurt the Broncos' defense, and the tackling issues remain a major part of this unit's consistency problems. Despite the Broncos' knack for coming up big when it matters, they still need to find consistency and cut down on the leaky plays.

The Broncos can overcome setbacks in big moments, and that's great, but it's not something they can always rely on, especially later in the season, though this ability has been a big part of their 7-2 start. Getting some injured players back after the bye could help Denver find that consistency.

RB Trade Won't Solve Broncos' Run Game Issues

J.K. Dobbins. — J.K. Dobbins gets tackled. | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

It's easy to believe that trading for a great running back will fix everything, but it won’t. The Broncos have a systemic issue with their blockers, though it isn’t all on the offensive line. The issue is everywhere, from the O-line to the tight ends to the wideouts, except maybe Troy Franklin.

It's not just the blocking; this run game is suffering from a convoluted scheme and inconsistent play calls. A single running back won't be a miracle solution.

The Broncos had 21 rushes for 75 yards in Carolina, and the running backs played well, except for that fumbled toss that Coleman thankfully recovered. However, the backs weren’t always used in the best way to maximize their skills as runners, and that's a play-calling issue.

There were also too many failures by the blockers up front. Luke Wattenberg has been the worst run-blocking center in the NFL, and he whiffed on a few blocks, allowing the run play to be blown up by the Panthers.

Left guard Ben Powers and right guard Quinn Meinerz both had run-blocking issues against the Panthers' massive defensive linemen. The Broncos' offensive tackles weren't liabilities in the run game, but consistency was a struggle for them, too.

That being said, the Broncos' tight ends remain the biggest problem in run blocking. Adam Trautman and Evan Engram have been among the NFL's worst blocking tight ends this season.

Nate Adkins has been in the top 20 in blocking metrics (out of 70 tight ends), but the Broncos still roll with Trautman and Engram as their top guys. Acquiring a competent blocker at the position would be the best way to boost the run game.

Denver needs to be more efficient on the ground, and the team shouldn’t force it by trading for a running back. It sounds like banging your head against the wall, but the Broncos have the pieces in the backfield to field a good run game if they can fix the other issues.

Step one is to keep the run game simple, then build on it. Getting back to the fundamentals is always what the doctor ordered when a team is suffering from systematic blocking issues.

Broncos Should Call the Panthers About a TE

Returning to the fundamentals and keeping it simple in the run game will help out the Broncos' offensive line, but they lack the talent and horses in the tight end room. The Broncos are dying for a good run-blocking tight end, and the team they just beat happens to have two of them.

Mitchell Evans and Tommy Tremble are both among the better run-blocking tight ends in the NFL, even with the former being a 2025 draft pick. Tremble is in the final year of his contract, and Evans is in year two of a fifth-round rookie deal, so neither would be a significant financial hit, which is part of why Denver should target one of them and not a running back.

Either would be an upgrade over Trautman and Engram in terms of what they bring to the room, and while neither Evans nor Tremble is a massive impact receiver, both are enough of a threat to change the math for opposing defenses.

If the Broncos don't want to go with Evans or Tremble at the trade deadline, or the Panthers don’t want to move one of them, they still have other options. Mo Allie-Cox of the Indianapolis Colts is one of the better blocking tight ends in the NFL and is even better than Evans or Tremble.

Allie-Cox offers less receiving ability and potential, though. There will always be trade-offs in situations like this, but Evans and Tremble are probably the two best options that may actually be available.

We know the Broncos have been calling around on tight ends, including one to the Arizona Cardinals to check on Trey McBride. The Cardinals said no.

While McBride is far more of a receiving threat than a blocker, just making the call hints that the Broncos want to improve the tight end room. The Broncos should make the call to Carolina to see if they can work something out for Evans or Tremble, because the Panthers also have a fourth tight end they like to use and want to get on the field more.

The Panthers have a logjam at tight end with Tremble and Evans as their No. 2 and No. 3 options, with Darren Waller as their top guy, but he isn’t much of a blocker. Because they have two, the Panthers might be willing to relinquish one to the Broncos.

Carolina averaged 4.8 yards per carry on the ground against Denver. Make the call, George Paton.

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