While the Carolina Panthers (3-4) are not facing elimination on Sunday against the Denver Broncos (6-2), a loss would put their playoff hopes on life support.

Carolina has lost its last two games against Tampa Bay and Green Bay. The Panthers will look to turn things around this week against the Broncos.

The Panthers are still trying to figure out if they can compete with the top teams in the NFL or if they will continue to struggle against teams they should be able to defeat. Sunday's game against the Broncos will tell us a lot about the rest of Carolina's season.

Another Loss Could Put Carolina in a Tough Spot

After a 3-2 start to the season with wins over the Eagles, Giants and Commanders, Carolina looked like a team ready to take off under head coach Dave Canales.

After suffering a 43-13 loss to Tampa Bay in Week 8, Carolina lost another game on the road against Green Bay, 27-19. The Panthers are now trying to figure out what went wrong in both games as they prepare to take on the Broncos in Charlotte on Sunday.

The Broncos are on a four-game winning streak and currently sit at 6-2 on the season. While Denver's offense hasn't been spectacular this season, the Broncos have found ways to win games, most recently a come-from-behind victory against the Kansas City Chiefs last week.

The Panthers cannot afford another game where the defense cannot get a stop and the offense spends the entire afternoon playing catch-up.

On average, the Panthers' defense has allowed 27.6 points per game this season. Carolina's defense has only recorded 11 sacks, which is not good enough against quality opponents.

The Panthers' offense has looked good at times this season, but Carolina needs four solid quarters of play from quarterback Bryce Young and the rest of the offense to win on Sunday.

Denver has 23 sacks this season, so the Panthers need to protect Young in the pocket. If he is being hit regularly, the Panthers are in for a long afternoon.

As Panthers On SI recently explained in its breakdown of three ways Carolina can beat Denver, protecting Young and finding ways to pressure Bo Nix could make a big difference.

The Schedule Doesn't Get Much Easier

With nine games left in the season after Sunday's contest, the Panthers' road to the playoffs will not be easy.

According to the Panthers' schedule, Carolina will play the New Orleans Saints on the road next week, then return home to play the Baltimore Ravens. Following that game, the Panthers will face the Tampa Bay Buccaneers again, as well as the Minnesota Vikings, Pittsburgh Steelers and Seattle Seahawks.

The Panthers still have plenty of games left in the division, with two more against the Saints and one against the Buccaneers. But Carolina is going to have to win some games before those matchups become even more important.

Sunday's game is bigger than just another November matchup for the Panthers. A win would get Carolina back to .500 and give the team something to build on for the rest of the season.

If the Panthers lose Sunday, they will be 3-5 and have more questions than answers about whether this team can compete for a playoff spot.

What the Panthers need to do Sunday is prove they can put together a complete game against a winning team. That's something the Panthers haven't done all season, and Sunday would be a great time to start.

While there is still time for the Panthers to turn things around, that time is starting to run out. Falling to 3-5 would put their playoff hopes on life support, although they would not be mathematically eliminated from contention.

For a team trying to prove it can compete for a playoff spot, Sunday's game is one the Panthers can't afford to lose.