Broncos Are Easy Favorites Against Panthers In Week 9

The first-place Denver Broncos are riding high after a 28-24 win over Patrick Mahomes and the Kansas City Chiefs. 

The Denver defense has been the calling card time and time again, and the offense has been up and down in a surprising outcome despite plenty of hype entering the 2026 season. 

In Week 9, the Broncos face the Carolina Panthers on the road at Bank of America Stadium on Sunday. 

NFL.com editors Jeremy Bergman, Brooke Cersosimo, Gennaro Filice, Bobby Kownack, and Dann Parr offered up their predictions for each game of Week 9, and four of them had the Broncos defeating the Panthers. 

While four of the five had Denver getting the W, the score is expected to be close, which might be a surprise to many. 

The Panthers are 3-4, but playing in Charlotte is always a strong spot for them. The Broncos are also coming off a grueling, last-second win against the Chiefs, and this could be a game Denver is overlooking. 

Parr said that the Broncos offense is "boring" and mentioned there are still questions about the play of quarterback Bo Nix, and that is certainly something to monitor. 

The Panthers, meanwhile, announced the firing of DC Ejiro Evero this week, so that move could ignite this team, or it could have the opposite outcome. 

The Panthers also have had extra rest since their last game was on Thursday Night Football, and that could bode well for them in a number of ways. 

Perhaps the biggest X-factor for Carolina is young quarterback Bryce Young. If he plays well, the Panthers will have a chance, and you could essentially copy and paste that sentence every single week when it comes to watching Panthers games. 

The Broncos are 6-2 and coming off a big win, but the offense has stalled time and time again in pretty much every game this season, even with Sean Payton taking back play-calling duties from offensive coordinator Davis Webb. 

The trade deadline is coming up on Nov. 10, and this game could be a strong indicator of exactly what Denver needs to do at the deadline in hopes of getting back to the postseason and this time making it to the Super Bowl. 

If the Broncos lose, it might be a time to reset in a way.