Three keys to the Broncos getting a victory over the Panthers in Week 12

The Denver Broncos have a chance to win a game on Sunday. That is not the case every week, as the Broncos are usually the worst team in the matchup.

This Sunday, the Broncos travel to take on the Carolina Panthers in Week 12. This is a matchup of two teams that have seen their seasons go off track. Both teams have three wins on the season, although there are players on both sides of the ball that give you hope for the future.

The Panthers don’t have a quarterback of the future, so they are going to the quarterback of the past this week. Sam Darnold was supposed to be their answer at the position when they traded with the New York Jets to acquire his services. Instead, Darnold has missed most of this season with a serious ankle injury. He’s back healthy this week for the first time since the preseason finale.

Here are three keys to victory in Week 12.

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Keep Foreman Out of It

The Panthers traded away RB Christian McCaffrey a few weeks ago, but their rushing attack is in good hands with D’Onta Foreman as their starter. A third-round pick out of Texas in the 2017 NFL draft, Foreman is now on his third team in the NFL. He’s flashed before in previous stops with the Houston Texans (the team that drafted him) and the Tennessee Titans, but he’s flourishing now with the Panthers.

In three of the five games without McCaffrey, Foreman has rushed for over 100 yards. He’s a bruising back who is tough to bring down when he builds a head of steam. In the games where Foreman has had over 100 yards on the ground, it’s because the Panthers are in a tight contest, and they can keep hammering away with Foreman as their battering ram. He’s not much of a receiving threat, but Foreman can handle a large workload as a runner where he can continue to deal punishment.

If you want to stop the Panthers, you keep Foreman out of the game. That means the Broncos need to do what they can to build an early lead. I know that sounds ridiculous for a team that can’t get to 20 points a game this year (not even close), but if you want a win on Sunday this is the best strategy. The Panthers are not a team built to come from behind. If you build a lead, Foreman – the best part of their offense – is effectively taken out of the game.

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Test Darnold’s Ankle

The Broncos defense is doing everything they can, but the offense is failing miserably. Once again on Sunday, the Broncos defense is going to have to lead the way. They are facing a quarterback in Darnold who has not been good in his NFL career. However, Darnold is perhaps starting the final game at quarterback, and he will be motivated to play good football.

Darnold has a good arm, and he can make all the throws required in the NFL. While former starter Baker Mayfield did not have a good connection with star wide receiver D.J. Moore, the hope is that Darnold will be different. Moore is a talented receiver who can be moved around the formation. With a lack of receiving weapons on the team, I’m sure Darnold will be looking for Moore early and often.

The one thing about Darnold that is most often overlooked is his rushing ability. He’s not a scrambler per se, like Josh Allen with the Buffalo Bills, but Darnold can get out of the way and attack a defense with his legs. Since he’s at the crucible of his career with permanent backup status staring at him in the face, Darnold is likely to do everything possible to win. To me, that means he won’t hesitate to pull the ball down and run. The Broncos defense needs to test that ankle to see how truly healthy the veteran quarterback is. Take advantage of the times he does take off to run, and perhaps with coverage and rush packages encourage him to do so to find out where his ankle is at.

Hackett had some nice things to say about Darnold leading up to this contest.

“I would say he’s underestimated as an athlete. He can take off, he can extend plays, he can run with the ball, and he can make scramble drills come alive. That’s going to be the probably the biggest challenge for us—making sure we contain him in the pocket and not let him get out and get loose.” Hackett said.

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Murray and Mack Attack

With the move to get rid of Melvin Gordon, the Broncos backfield will look different this week. Latavius Murray takes over as the starter, and Marlon Mack should get his first game action with the Broncos on Sunday. Murray compiled a season-high 17 carries (for the Broncos) in the game last week, and I imagine his workload will be around 15-20 touches in this game. Mack has been a healthy scratch for the two games he’s been on the roster, but he’s adept in the system now and should get 10-15 touches in his Broncos debut.

If they push for 35 touches between those two backs, that gives the Broncos the best chance for a win. Russell Wilson can play efficiently if the team is running the ball with a great commitment from offensive play caller Klint Kubiak. Last week, with Kubiak calling the plays for the first time, we got to see glimpses of what this offense could look like in the first half. They were running the ball and staying with it. That commitment led to Wilson completing almost everything he was throwing, so that’s a pattern I’d like to see them follow on Sunday.

The Panthers may have a revolving door at quarterback, but like the Broncos their defense has some playmakers to be concerned about. How do you slow down what the Panthers can do on defense? The answer is simple; run the damn ball down their throat.

Hackett knows and respects what the Panthers have up front on that side of the ball.

“They’re a good defense. [Panthers DE Brian] Burns—he’s been a very good player throughout his time in the league. They do a lot of unique things from their pressure. They love to pressure. They are one of the highest pressuring teams in the league. They’ll bring it from all over and they’ll definitely test [QB] Russell [Wilson]. He’s going to have to follow his protection rules and understand what he’s going to be facing because they’re going to throw everything at him. There’s going to be some things that they haven’t done before that they’re probably going to throw at him. They’re really good defense with their pressure schemes and they’re stout up front. ‘95’ (Panthers DT Derrick Brown) is a monster in the middle. They’ve got a lot of good football players.” Hackett said.

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