Bryce Young returns to the Carolina Panthers' lineup against a stingy Denver Broncos defense

Carolina (1-6) at Denver (4-3)

Sunday, 4:25 p.m. EDT, CBS

NFL Odds: Broncos by 9.

Series record: Broncos lead 6-2.

Against the spread: Panthers 1-6; Broncos 5-2.

Last meeting: Carolina beat Denver 23-10 on Nov. 27, 2022, in Charlotte.

Last week: Panthers lost to Washington 40-7, Broncos beat Saints 33-10.

Panthers offense: overall (29), rush (23), pass (28), scoring (28)

Panthers defense: overall (30), rush (32), pass (25),scoring (21)

Broncos offense: overall (27), rush (13), pass (29), scoring (21-LT)

Broncos defense: overall (3), rush (10), pass (5), scoring (3)

Turnover differential: Panthers minus-6, Broncos even.

Panthers player to watch

QB Bryce Young. All eyes will be on Young, who returns to the starting role after Andy Dalton sprained his right thumb in a car accident on Tuesday. Young was awful in his first two games this season, throwing three interceptions and no touchdowns in a pair of losses. He's spent the past five games backing up Dalton. The 2023 No. 1 overall pick is 2-16 overall as an NFL starter.

Broncos player to watch

DE Zach Allen. The sixth-year pro is having a breakout season with nine tackles for loss and four sacks in 2024. He needs just five more tackles behind the line of scrimmage to tie DE Elvis Dumervil (2009) for most TFLs by a Denver defensive lineman in a single season. His four sacks are 1 1/2 shy of his career high.

Key matchup

Panthers RB Chuba Hubbard vs. Broncos run defense. Hubbard has been one of the few bright spots for the Panthers, rushing for 537 yards and three TDs while averaging 5.2 yards per carry despite playing on a team that is often playing from behind. He will face a stingy Denver defense that is 11th in yards rushing allowed per game (111.7) and fifth in yards allowed per carry (4.1).

Key injuries

Panthers: Aside from QB Andy Dalton (sprained right thumb), the Panthers are starting to get a little healthier and hope to get veteran WR Adam Thielen back from a hamstring injury. That would be a big boost for the Carolina offense. Thielen has missed the past four weeks on injured reserve with a hamstring injury. He practiced on a limited basis Wednesday. OLB Jadeveon Clowney returned to practice this week after missing two games with a shoulder injury. Several other players who missed last week's game, including OLB Josey Jewell, returned to practice this week. ... Broncos: Denver is getting healthier. Star CB Patrick Surtain II practiced Wednesday for the first time since he was concussed on Denver's first defensive snap against the Chargers in Week 6. DT Malcolm Roach had a fever Wednesday and was excused from practice.

Series notes

These teams met in Super Bowl 50 and Denver's defensive-fueled 24-10 victory allowed Hall of Fame QB Peyton Manning to retire a champion just as John Elway did after winning back-to-back Super Bowls in the late 1990s. Neither team has had much success since then, however, and Denver still hasn't returned to the playoffs since celebrating its third Lombardi Trophy.

Stats and stuff

The Panthers have lost 12 of their past 13 road games going back to last season .... Carolina has been outscored 152-64 in the first half of games this season. ... Carolina is 30th in the league in third down conversions on offense at 30.9%. ... There is a chance Dalton could be Carolina's No. 2 QB on Sunday depending upon his recovery from his sprained thumb. ... Carolina is awaiting the debut of rookie second-round draft pick RB Jonathan Brooks, but he may be another week away. He tore an ACL at Texas and just returned to practice two weeks ago. ... No Panthers tight end has caught a TD pass this season. ... Carolina has just seven sacks in seven games, which ranks 31st in the league. ... The Broncos are 4-0 at home against the Panthers. ... Sean Payton last week became the eighth NFL head coach to beat every team in the league when the Broncos won at New Orleans. ... Although Broncos rookie QB Bo Nix has just five TD throws so far, he's only thrown five interceptions and been sacked nine times. ... WR Courtland Sutton's two touchdown receptions make him the only Denver player with multiple TD catches so far. ... RB Javonte Williams is coming off his first career two-touchdown game. ... Denver's 28 sacks rank second in the league behind the New York Giants' 31. ... Denver's defense has allowed an average of 4.39 yards per play through seven games, which is the lowest mark among all NFL teams this season. ... The Broncos are No. 1 in the league in red zone defense (35.7%), having allowed just five touchdowns in 19 red zone trips by their opponents. ... OLB Nik Bonitto has a sack in five consecutive games, a career high and the longest streak by Denver defender since Von Miller's six-game streak in 2018.

Fantasy tip

The Panthers are on pace to be one of the worst defenses in NFL history, making every Denver offensive starter - especially RB Javonte Williams - a solid option. Carolina has allowed 243 points through seven games, the third most in the Super Bowl era.

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