The CBS camera operator covering Sunday’s Denver Broncos-Carolina Panthers game had no idea where the ball was, and neither, for a few seconds, did most of the people watching.

The confusion came early in the first quarter, with the game still scoreless. Denver faced third-and-goal in Carolina territory after a 41-yard kickoff return and a 27-yard pass interference penalty on cornerback Corey Thornton had put the Broncos deep in the red zone.

Bo Nix took the snap from shotgun and pump-faked, and the camera launched toward the end zone, following the throw it expected. Without a ball in the air, the operator pivoted back and forth looking for it before finally swinging back to Nix, who was scrambling around nearly 20 yards behind the line of scrimmage with pressure closing in.

Nix eventually threw the ball out of the back of the end zone, and Will Lutz came on for a 26-yard field goal.

The play was a small piece of a Broncos offense that has made winning look messy all year. Denver beat Carolina 26-21 to improve to 7-2 and extend its winning streak to five games, even though the Panthers outgained the Broncos 353 yards to roughly 300.

The Broncos went 2-for-4 in the red zone, including an interception in the second quarter that was Nix’s first in 180 pass attempts.

The Broncos still found the plays they needed. Denver led 13-7 at halftime and trailed 14-13 after Bryce Young hit Darren Waller for a 15-yard touchdown early in the third quarter, but the game turned on a coach’s challenge late in the period.

Carolina had a first-and-goal at the Denver 1-yard line when Young threw toward the corner of the end zone, and the pass was ruled incomplete.

After the Panthers had run another play, officials ruled that Broncos coach Sean Payton had thrown his red flag before the snap, and on review, safety Devon Key was credited with an interception on a ball that deflected off tight end Tommy Tremble’s hand before it hit the ground.

Carolina lost its chance to go up by eight, and Denver drove 80 yards in 14 plays for Jonah Coleman’s 9-yard touchdown run.

Nix then hit a wide-open Pat Bryant for a 26-yard touchdown to make it 26-14. Young cut it to 26-21 with a 4-yard touchdown pass to Tetairoa McMillan, and the Broncos nearly gave the game away when a pitch from Nix to Coleman was fumbled for a loss of 12 yards. Nik Bonitto saved them by stripping Young and recovering the ball with 1:18 left.

Nix finished 25 of 37 for 237 yards and two touchdowns, and he now has 17 consecutive wins in one-score games, according to NBC Sports, the longest streak in the NFL since 1950.

Carolina (3-5) was flagged 13 times for 119 yards, including five pass interference penalties, while playing without its top four cornerbacks in its first game under interim defensive coordinator Todd Wash.