The Denver Broncos hold first place in the AFC West and are now entering the less daunting part of their schedule — at least, on paper. The Broncos have faced five playoff contenders in their first eight games, and while it hasn't been perfect, they can feel good about being 6-2.

The Carolina Panthers might not be as formidable as some of the other teams the Broncos have faced thus far, but they can't be taken lightly. The Panthers already hold a win over the Detroit Lions and have shown they can do good things on offense.

The Broncos will also have to travel, and both of their losses have come on the road. The Broncos also have just one double-digit win this season and need to show they can get those victories against the opponents that might not rank among the top in the NFL.

The Broncos have to respect their opponent this week and treat this game no differently than they would a top team. The Broncos' fourth-quarter comebacks may be fun to watch, but that's not something you want to do when the matchup favors you on paper, especially on the East Coast with an early start.

Let's break down three things the Broncos must do to come away with another road win before they go into their bye week — and to show they must be taken seriously as a playoff threat.

Don't Underestimate Bryce Young

It's easy to look at the Panthers' starting quarterback and assume he's no threat. In Young's first two seasons, he had just 26 touchdown passes, though he did better in his third season with 23 passing scores. But one could still point to his 17-34 record as a starter and assume too much.

However, Young has made steady progress as a passer and is on pace to surpass 30 passing touchdowns this season. He could stand to improve his completion percentage, which stands at 58.7%, but he has improved his yards per attempt to 7.1 and his adjusted yards per attempt to 7.3, per Pro Football Reference.

Young also has the ability to extend plays if he gets out of the pocket, and he can be a threat to run with the ball if he escapes pressure, as evidenced by the 752 yards rushing and nine touchdowns he's totaled thus far in his career.

The main thing is for the Broncos' defense to keep Young in the pocket, where he becomes more vulnerable. Though he isn't taking sacks at the pace he did as a rookie — he took a whopping 62 sacks — he still has a tendency to take too many. He's been sacked 23 times in seven games, already nearing the 27 he took last year in 16 games.

With the Panthers dealing with injuries on the offensive line, this could be a game in which the Broncos pass rush could have a big day. But to do that, the Broncos can't underestimate Young, who can do plenty of damage if you aren't disciplined on defense.

Contain Chuba Hubbard & Tetairoa McMillan

Along with giving Young his respect, the Broncos have to be aware of two key playmakers on the Panthers' offense. You may not hear their names called among the top offensive playmakers in the NFL, but they are players capable of a big game at any time.

Hubbard already has a pair of 100-yard rushing games to his credit, with 120 yards against the Philadelphia Eagles in Week 6 and 122 yards against the Lions in Week 4. He's averaged 4.6 yards per carry, scored five rushing touchdowns, and has caught 22 passes for 150 yards and two scores.

More importantly, Hubbard does a good job of taking care of the football. His career high is four fumbles in 2024, but he's never had more than two otherwise. This season, he has yet to lose the football.

Meanwhile, McMillan has proven to be a good find for the Panthers, who took him in the second round of the 2025 NFL Draft. He surpassed 1,000 yards receiving as a rookie, with 70 receptions on 122 targets and seven touchdowns.

This season, McMillan remains Young's favored target, with 42 receptions on 65 targets for 569 yards and two touchdowns. McMillan had a strong outing against the Lions, with 192 yards on 14 receptions, scoring both of his touchdowns this season.

While McMillan's scoring has been limited, he's still a threat, and it's not a given that Patrick Surtain II will match up with him on every play. One should expect McMillan to test everyone in the Broncos' secondary.

As with Young, the Broncos must respect these playmakers. If the Broncos can contain both Hubbard and McMillan, it will go a long way toward securing a win.

Time For the Running Game to Shine

There's a lot of excitement surrounding Jonah Coleman and no small amount of skepticism surrounding J.K. Dobbins, but this could be the game that allows both — perhaps — to stand out.

Through seven games, the Panthers have given up 4.8 yards per carry to opposing running backs and 12 rushing touchdowns. The Chicago Bears, Lions, and Eagles all had at least 100 rushing yards against the Panthers.

The Panthers aren't exactly a standout at defending the pass, though they have been better in that respect, giving up 5.8 yards per reception and holding their last two opponents — Tampa Bay and Green Bay — to under 200 receiving yards.

So if the Broncos are going to get that running game going, this may be the week to do it. This could be especially true for Coleman, who has averaged 4.5 yards per carry and might be in position to have a big game.

As for Dobbins, he's had his moments, but not enough of them. But if there's a game that he has a chance to make an impact, this is it.

If Coleman and Dobbins play well, it will take some pressure off Bo Nix to carry the load. It should also help Nix build on the good things he's done the past couple of weeks and allow him to make the most of the opportunities he gets against the Panthers.

This may not be a "get-right" game for the Broncos' offense, but it could be the game that shows they can be productive at running the football — and that they can do better than the 3.8 yards per carry average they have in the first seven games.

The Takeaway

The Panthers aren't as strong as the Kansas City Chiefs, Seattle Seahawks, and Los Angeles Rams — all teams the Broncos have found a way to beat — but Carolina isn't a team to take lightly. The Panthers have been able to do well against playoff contenders, as evidenced by their win over the Lions.

While the Panthers aren't loaded with playmakers, they do have capable players who shouldn't be overlooked. On defense, they aren't a top team but that doesn't mean the Broncos can get away with a bad performance.

The Broncos need to build on what they've done well in recent weeks and continue to improve in areas that may need attention. They're at the midway point of the season and need to show they should be taken seriously as a team poised to make a deep playoff run.

A blowout win isn't what's needed here, but the Broncos must look to build an early lead as they did against the Arizona Cardinals, then make sure they don't let the Panthers back into the game. 

While the Broncos have shown they can work that fourth-quarter magic, they don't want this game to come to that. Better to show that they can build a comfortable lead going into the fourth quarter, then put it away, to show they can be a serious playoff threat.