Denver Broncos: 4 takeaways from win over Panthers
By Noah Smith
The Denver Broncos are back in the win column, and it feels oh so sweet.
The Denver Broncos came out victorious in an exciting shootout against the Carolina Panthers. After a strong performance against the Kansas City Chiefs, the Broncos put together another complete game, this time coming out on top with a win.
While the defense played well enough despite missing two starting cornerbacks, the offense was the story of Sunday’s game. Lock and the offense started slow but came alive in the 2nd quarter and to finish off the game.
The Denver Broncos have stacked multiple complete games dating back to their win over the Miami Dolphins. If the Denver Broncos want to reach a .500 record, they will need more complete games from the whole team to close out the season.
Here are my four takeaways from the Broncos win over the Carolina Panthers:
1. The Pat Shurmur-led offense deserves another year
This is the game where the offense put it all together.
In week 5 against the Patriots, we saw the Broncos’ offense attack downfield and put pressure on the Patriots’ cornerbacks to make plays. Against the Chiefs last week, the Broncos took the short gains and let their receivers work after the catch.
In the Denver Broncos’ victory over the Panthers, Pat Shurmur blended the two game plans perfectly for an excellent blend of downfield passing mixed with easy completions for Drew Lock. Lock was sharp today, but Shurmur absolutely deserves credit for designing the game plan.
One thing Pat Shurmur has emphasized has been the quick passing game, and helping Lock get into a rhythm by using a quick passing game. Lock has stated that he feels comfortable throwing the deep ball, but Lock has certainly given his team a chance to win by working the short game.
Brett Rypien told Drew Lock every week to check the ball down until the big play is there.
— Zac Stevens (@ZacStevensDNVR) December 13, 2020
“You're good enough to make the big play. Make it when it's there. Check these balls down if it's not there.”
Lock did that today to the tune of 4 TDs, 0 INTs and a 149.5 passer rating.
Shurmur also used the running backs effectively, with Gordon finishing the day with 13 carries for 68 yards and adding 3 receptions for 23 yards, per ESPN. Gordon was used in the screen game to great effect and helped the Broncos pick up key first downs to sustain drives throughout the game both on the ground and through the air.
Overall, this game showed what the offense can be under the direction of Lock and Shurmur. The offense moved the ball effectively, and in a number of different ways. If the Broncos can build on their offensive performance, they will absolutely justify keeping Pat Shurmur for another year.