Broncos report card: Feel-good marks across the board vs. undermanned Panthers, but exam season awaits

Broncos report card: Feel-good marks across the board vs. undermanned Panthers, but exam season awaits

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OFFENSE — A-

Bo Nix authored easily his best pro performance to date, accounting for four total touchdowns. With hardly any pressure to worry about, the rookie quarterback stood in the pocket and threw darts around the field. It marked just the second time the Broncos have scored four offensive touchdowns in a game under head coach Sean Payton and the fourth time in the past three seasons. If you want to quibble, Denver really didn’t have much of a run game for most of the early part of the contest. It hardly mattered, though. After a fumble and a punt on their opening two drives, Nix and company scored touchdowns on four of their next five possessions.

DEFENSE — A-

The Broncos defense got off to a rocky start, giving up four first downs, missing several tackles and surrendering a touchdown — albeit one set up by a Lil’Jordan Humphrey fumble — to the anemic Panthers offense on its first drive. From there, though, Vance Joseph’s group did its thing. They allowed just one first down from the 6:24 mark of the first until late in the third quarter. The Panthers didn’t score again until the closing seconds. Pat Surtain II and Ja’Quan McMillian each intercepted Bryce Young. It was the kind of lockdown performance that’s become expected from this group.

SPECIAL TEAMS — B

Another week, another quality outing for the Broncos’ punt team. Riley Dixon hung a beauty of a punt up that Tremon Smith tipped to Lucas Krull. Krull managed to keep it out of the end zone and the Broncos downed it at the 1-yard line. It was the fourth time they’ve done that already in seven games this season.



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