Bryce Young returns to the Carolina Panthers lineup against a stingy Denver Broncos defense

Carolina (1-6) in Denver (4-3)

Sunday, 4:25 p.m. EDT, CBS

BetMGM NFL Odds: Broncos at 9

Series record: Broncos lead 6-2.

Against the spread: Panthers 1-6; Broncos 5-2.

Last meeting: Carolina defeated Denver 23-10 on November 27, 2022 in Charlotte.

Last week: Panthers lost to Washington 40-7, Broncos beat Saints 33-10.

Panthers offense: total (29), offense (23), passing (28), scoring (28)

Panthers defense: total (30), offense (32), passing (25), goals (21)

Broncos offense: overall (27), rushing (13), passing (29), scoring (21-LT)

Broncos defense: total (3), offense (10), passing (5), goal (3)

Turnover differential: Panthers minus-6, even Broncos.

Panthers player to watch

QB Bryce Young. All eyes will be on Young as he returns to a starting role after Andy Dalton sprained his right thumb in a car crash on Tuesday. Young was terrible in his first two games this season, throwing three interceptions and no touchdowns in two losses. He has spent the last five games as a backup to Dalton. The No. 1 overall pick in 2023 is 2-16 as an NFL starter.

Broncos player to watch

DE Zach Allen. The sixth-year pro is having a breakout season with nine tackles for loss and four sacks in 2024. He needs just five more tackles behind the line of scrimmage to tie DE Elvis Dumervil (2009) for most TFLs by a Denver defensive lineman in a single season. His four sacks are 1 1/2 shy of his career high.

A key duel

Panthers RB Chuba Hubbard vs. Broncos run defense. Hubbard was one of the few bright spots for the Panthers, rushing for 537 yards and three TDs while averaging 5.2 yards per carry despite playing on a team that often played from behind. He’ll face a stingy Denver defense that ranks 11th in rushing yards per game (111.7) and fifth in yards per carry (4.1).

Key injuries

Panthers: In addition to QB Andy Dalton (sprained right thumb), the Panthers are starting to recover and hope to get veteran WR Adam Thielen back from a hamstring injury. This would be a big strengthening of Karolina’s attack. Thielen has missed the last four weeks on the bench with a hamstring injury. He practiced on a limited basis on Wednesday. OLB Jadeveon Clowney returned to practice this week after missing two games with a shoulder injury. Several other players who missed last week’s game, including OLB Josey Jewell, returned to practice this week. … Broncos: Denver is getting healthier. Star CB Patrick Surtain II practiced Wednesday for the first time since suffering a concussion on Denver’s first defensive snap against the Chargers in Week 6. DT Malcolm Roach had a fever on Wednesday and was released from practice.

Notes from the series

These teams met in Super Bowl 50, and Denver’s defensive-driven 24-10 victory allowed Hall of Fame QB Peyton Manning to retire the champion, just as John Elway did after back-to-back Super Bowl victories in the late 1990s. However, since neither team has had much success over time, and Denver still hasn’t made it back to the playoffs since celebrating its third Lombardi Trophy.

Statistics and stuff

The Panthers have lost 12 of their last 13 road games dating back to last season. Carolina has been outscored 152-64 in the first half of games this season. … Carolina ranks 30th in the league in third-down conversions at 30.9%. … There is a chance Dalton will be Carolina’s second QB on Sunday if he recovers from a sprained thumb. … Carolina is waiting for the debut of rookie second-round draft pick RB Jonathan Brooks, but it could be another week away. He tore his ACL in Texas and just returned to training two weeks ago. … No Panthers player has caught a pass for a TD this season. … Carolina has just seven sacks in seven games and ranks 31st in the league. … Broncos lose to Panthers 4-0 at home. …Sean Payton last week became the eighth NFL head coach to beat every team in the league when the Broncos prevailed in New Orleans. … Although Broncos rookie QB Bo Nix has just five TDs, he has only five interceptions and has been sacked nine times. … WR Courtland Sutton’s two touchdown receptions make him the only Denver player to catch multiple TDs so far. … RB Javonte Williams has his first career two-touchdown game. …Denver has 28 sacks, ranking second in the league behind the New York Giants with 31. …Denver’s defense has allowed the team to average 4.39 yards per game in seven games, the lowest mark of any NFL team this season. … The Broncos are No. 1 in the league in red zone defense (35.7%), allowing just five touchdowns in 19 red zone trips by their opponents. … OLB Nik Bonitto has a sack in five straight games, a career-high and the longest streak by a Denver defenseman since Von Miller’s six-game streak in 2018.

Fantasy tip

The Panthers are on track to be one of the worst defenses in NFL history, which makes any of Denver’s offensive starters – especially RB Javonte Williams – a solid option. Carolina has scored 243 points in seven games, third-most in the Super Bowl era.