The NFL is the NFL, where every team is full of paid professionals and no one can be discounted on a weekly basis. The Denver Broncos are a whopping 8.5-point favorites over the Carolina Panthers in Week 8, and the stark difference between these two teams in terms of their trajectory right now needs to be addressed.
The Denver Broncos cannot afford to overlook the Carolina Panthers, for a variety of reasons.
This is what you would typically classify as a perfect example of a "trap game" in today's NFL. The Panthers are fresh off of a blowout loss where their opponent used a backup quarterback for the majority of the game. They are down extremely bad, people are speculating about whether or not they are going to be selling off parts of the roster for draft capital in the coming weeks, and the vibes are just generally very down in Carolina right now.
And the second you overlook a team like this is the second you find yourself dropping a much-needed game at home before facing off against the Baltimore Ravens and Kansas City Chiefs in consecutive weeks.
Denver Broncos must avoid "trap" game against Panthers in Week 8
One of the biggest reasons why the Denver Broncos did not make the playoffs last year (and they very well could have) was their unfortunate record in home games. In fact, the Broncos are 8-9 in their last 17 home games (dating back to 2022) and they were just 5-4 at home in 2023. And a win at home against the New England Patriots on Christmas Eve last year would have potentially helped send the Broncos to the postseason.
This year, the Broncos are already 1-2 at home with a loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers and a win against the Raiders before their most recent loss to the Chargers. They have the Panthers coming to town on Sunday and the Broncos have the benefit of having those extra few days off after playing on Thursday night to rest, recover, and prepare.
Playing at home against one of the worst teams in the league with extra rest has put the Broncos in a very interesting situation. They are obviously favored heavily to win this game against Carolina, but can Denver take care of business? They did just that against the New Orleans Saints on Thursday night, and they're going to have to do it again.
The Broncos can't come out against Carolina looking like they are already focused on the difficulty that lies ahead playing on the road against Baltimore and Kansas City in consecutive games. This is such an important game to win at home and make sure you built yourself at least a little bit of a cushion while you can.
The Broncos brought Sean Payton in as their head coach to make sure that they changed the culture of the organization. Part of the issue with the Broncos since Super Bowl 50 has been playing "down" to certain opponents and not being able to win the games you "should" win. This is a game the Broncos "should" win. They need to be focused on beating the Panthers and not looking at what lies ahead.
The team should be embarrassed that it has a home record of 8-9 in the last 17 games played there. The fans in Denver deserve better than that. This was once the greatest home-field advantage in the league. Even when the Broncos didn't have great teams, you could count on there at least being some Mile High Magic when teams would come to town. They need to make sure they get that home record back up to .500 before another mini road trip and it's only going to happen if they take care of business against Carolina.