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Live updates and game highlights NFL Week 8

Umito October 27, 2024

Stay here for live updates and analysis as Denver takes on the Panthers at Empower Field at Mile High.

Live updates

Pre-match updates

Reconnaissance report (3 p.m.): Find out how the Broncos face the Panthers in Ryan McFadden Scouting Report.

Game Predictions

Parker Gabriel, screenwriter: Broncos 31, Panthers 13

Every now and then a game comes along at the right time and in the right circumstances to make it seem like a no-brainer. This is one. Denver isn’t foolproof by any means, but it has played well on defense and special teams for most of the season, and the running game has stepped up in recent weeks. Even two of those three should be enough to overtake what has been, numerically, by far the worst team in the NFL. The Broncos are improving too, as the schedule gets tough in November.

Ryan McFadden, author of the beat: Broncos 34, Panthers 13

The Broncos enter Sunday as heavy favorites, but that doesn’t mean Carolina should be overlooked. Denver should treat this game with the same intensity and enthusiasm as last week’s win against the Saints. Considering the next three weeks’ matchups against the Ravens, Chiefs and Falcons, Denver needs to punch the Panthers in the mouth early and not give them an ounce of momentum. The Broncos have shown the ability to take care of weaker opponents. Expect them to do this at home.

Troy Renck, columnist: Broncos 34, Panthers 14

For the past seven years, the Broncos have served as a play for opponents in need. Eventually, the roles were reversed. As bad as the Saints are, Carolina is worse. This game represents an opportunity for Denver to build momentum with a passing game that it will need against Baltimore and Kansas City. It’s time for the Broncos to show they’re legit. Creating a home-field advantage and beating bad teams remain necessary steps. Keep submitting them. With Sean Payton going 49-17 in October, that’s exactly what’s going to happen.

Sean Keeler, columnist: Broncos 23, Panthers 13

A trap game? Probably. But it’s not about winning for Carolina. Oh no. This is an opportunity to show Travis Hunter and Shedeur Sanders up close how badly they need one of them. Or both. Fun fact: The previous eight times a Sean Payton team won by 17 points or more on the road, they went 7-1 the next game and averaged 27 points per tilt in the process. It’s a TCB (Taking Care of Business) day for orange and blue. And business is improving.

Broncos-Panthers NFL Week 8: Must Reads

The secret ingredient fueling Zach Allen’s breakout season and the Broncos’ dominant pass rush

Zach Allen and John Franklin-Myers power one of the the most disruptive defenses in the league. The Broncos are second in the NFL in sacks and lead the league in total pressures. They shook up quarterbacks, from rookie Spencer Rattler to 20-year veteran Aaron Rodgers.

Allen, in his sixth season overall and second with the Broncos, is play the best football of your life. The reasons for his individual rise and the collective overhaul of a group which lacked punch in 2023 and which is now distributing it in batches are of all kinds.

But Allen has a secret weapon. It’s the reason he and Franklin-Myers ended up in Texas. Or, better said, he This is the reason, reports Parker Gabriel. Read the full story.

Broncos’ Josh Reynolds ‘pretty shaken’ after last week’s shooting, coach Sean Payton says

Broncos head coach Sean Payton said Friday that wide receiver Josh Reynolds was OK but was “pretty shaken up.” after being shot last week.

“He’s lucky“, Payton told reporters after Friday’s practice in Denver. “Obviously the league and the local authorities are handling it. I had a chance to speak with him. He was pretty shaken up, and I’m going to leave it there.

Reynolds was shot and killed last Friday in Denver. 9News, citing court documents, reported that Reynolds and another man were shot in their car after being followed out of a strip club. Reynolds was shot twice, in the left arm and the back of the head, and another man was shot in the back, according to the television station’s report. Parker Gabriel reports. Read the full story.

Renck: Broncos QB Bo Nix needs to keep using his legs if Denver wants to make the playoffs

It’s time for the Broncos to stop running from the truth.

Bo Nix is fast. Not by quarterback standards. Whatever the standard. He cannot cross a school zone without getting a ticket. He eclipsed 20 mph on several runs, both racing and designed.

As we reach the halfway point of the season on Sunday, coach Sean Payton has to take a look at the movie playing on the Mile High Jumbotron, “Fast & Curious.” Read Troy Renck’s full column.

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