Broncos D faces Smash and Dash...

[SuperMan]

Jeff Garcia threw for 321 yards & 2 TDs, Jay Cutler with Brandon Marshall, Royal, etc. Expect a field day.

Tampas "d" was 4th vs the run they gave up 299 and 4tds

denvers is 24th....

you wont have the ball much so you better score when you have it...

[Kaylore]

Please ignore Denver4Life as he is a troll.

This game will come down to turnovers. Denver will stack the box and force Jake to beat them through the air. I read you all thought Bailey was crap and gets beat a lot, and that's fantasy. Before injury he was targeted an average of 2.3 times a game and had I think four catches for 13 yards against him. I do agree that his rust and lingering soreness from the groin injury could be an issue, though. We have a very average pass rush, but our linebackers and safety play has improved the last few games. If Jake turns the ball over (looks like 13 Td's against 11 ints and 4 fumbles) more than the Broncos then the Broncos can win.

I like our receivers against your secondary. Your corners have been struggling of late. I think our offensive line can hang with your defensive line. We've given up 7 sacks on the season and Jay knows where he wants to go with the ball and is elusive. Boyd is the X-factor here. If we can run the ball with even nominal efficiency then Denver has a shot. If not, Jay will have to chuck it up a lot and that could mean an interception.

Special teams is average on returns, though getting better. Kern, our Punter looks good, but our kicker is in a total funk and doesn't look to be coming our of it anytime soon. A few missed field goals could be a boon for the the panthers.

Shanahan has never lost to the Panthers but he's never played in Carolina. He is 9-2 all time against AFC south teams. As was already mentioned he's 3-0 against the NFC south this year, but this is obviously the hardest test we've faced. We play up to our competition.

On paper it looks like Panthers should win this and given the spread that doesn't surprise me. Fox is 3-1 coming off a MNF game. That said, nothing in this game would surprise me. If you guys demolished us, I wouldn't be surprised. If it's close, it wouldn't surprise and if we destroyed you, it wouldn't surprise. This team is young and so it's very hot/cold.

Here's to a good game with little injuries.

[Crimson Tide Panther]

Jeff Garcia threw for 321 yards & 2 TDs, Jay Cutler with Brandon Marshall, Royal, etc. Expect a field day.

Yeah, because the Saints didn't have any weapons when we beat them 30-7...

[PanthaSan]

Please ignore Denver4Life as he is a troll.

This game will come down to turnovers. Denver will stack the box and force Jake to beat them through the air. I read you all thought Bailey was crap and gets beat a lot, and that's fantasy. Before injury he was targeted an average of 2.3 times a game and had I think four catches for 13 yards against him. I do agree that his rust and lingering soreness from the groin injury could be an issue, though. We have a very average pass rush, but our linebackers and safety play has improved the last few games. If Jake turns the ball over (looks like 13 Td's against 11 ints and 4 fumbles) more than the Broncos then the Broncos can win.

I like our receivers against your secondary. Your corners have been struggling of late. I think our offensive line can hang with your defensive line. We've given up 7 sacks on the season and Jay knows where he wants to go with the ball and is elusive. Boyd is the X-factor here. If we can run the ball with even nominal efficiency then Denver has a shot. If not, Jay will have to chuck it up a lot and that could mean an interception.

Special teams is average on returns, though getting better. Kern, our Punter looks good, but our kicker is in a total funk and doesn't look to be coming our of it anytime soon. A few missed field goals could be a boon for the the panthers.

Shanahan has never lost to the Panthers but he's never played in Carolina. He is 9-2 all time against AFC south teams. As was already mentioned he's 3-0 against the NFC south this year, but this is obviously the hardest test we've faced. We play up to our competition.

On paper it looks like Panthers should win this and given the spread that doesn't surprise me. Fox is 3-1 coming off a MNF game. That said, nothing in this game would surprise me. If you guys demolished us, I wouldn't be surprised. If it's close, it wouldn't surprise and if we destroyed you, it wouldn't surprise. This team is young and so it's very hot/cold.

Here's to a good game with little injuries.

Nice observation filled with common sense. Finally a Denver Fan that actually folows football.

Here's to a good game with no injuries....:cheers2:

[Stalkerfishy]

That being said, the Panthers are undefeated against yours. Somethings gonna give

Your division>Our division

If Cutler has no picks, then we win.

If he has any, we lose.

I'm saying...

38-31 Denver

[ItsNotGonnaBeAlright]

Shanahan has never lost to the Panthers but he's never played in Carolina.

If I may poke a few holes in that security blanket. Besides never having played in Carolina, Shanahan has also only beaten Carolina teams that went 7-9 on the season (once in 1997 and once in 2004) with teams that had a 12-4 and 10-6 record respectively. Also, in neither of those years had Carolina had as successful a run game as it does this year. Finally, both of those wins came early in the season and there was never a "play to survive" mentality on either side of the ball.

And before you bring up the '97 shutout, please remember that was Elway's golden year.

This game is going to be back and forth from the start and, rather than being a battle of errors, it will be a battle of coachs. Fox knows how to push a consistant defense and run a short-gain offense. Shannahan is the opposite, typically being a more "big play" style coach who focuses on offense and hopes for an average defense. So with a high octane passing offense in Denver vs. a sub-par secondary in Carolina, or a sub-par short defense in Denver vs. a high octane ground game in Carolina, expect a show of talent to be the deciding factor. Or, as is more likely the case, expect the outcome to be decided by who has possession last.

My pick: 38-35 Carolina, decided by a Kasay field goal at the last second. It could easily go the other way though, with Prater putting the boot to us for the finisher.

A lot of people are underestimating this game as blowout in Carolina's favor. I think itll be a fantasticly close game that shows off the talent both teams has.

Here's to an injury free game, good luck in the rest of the year!

[Kaylore]

A lot of people are underestimating this game as blowout in Carolina's favor. I think itll be a fantasticly close game that shows off the talent both teams has.

Here's to an injury free game, good luck in the rest of the year!

I agree on both counts. I think we hang with you guys better than people think we will.

[megadeth078]

Well, at least the threadstarter finally realized that we have two running backs.

[2jakefansinva]

Let's start calling our backs......Bash and Thrash. Just a thought.

[panthers55]

It really will be a clash of styles. I certainly hope we are able to impose our will on the other team. We did a good job against both NO and Arizona and hopefully the formula will work again. I personally would like us to use a lot more man than zone. At least until Godfrey learns where he should be in different situations. I realize that we have been playing zone to allow the corners to stay in contact with the line in order to be able to defend the run. In man coverage, the corner is usually playing behind the receiver and can be better blocked or taken deep.

Still we have to count on the line and linebackers to play the run, make the right fits, and cover zone in the middle and in the flats. Over the top we can run a nickle in a cover 1 or even a cover 0 if they go with a 4 or 5 receiver set. But let Lucas and Gamble do what they do best and that is play tight man coverage disrupting the play at the line and being physical with the receiver.

Playing aggresive man can lead to giving up a few big plays, but Cutler is going to score whether we like it or not. It is about limiting those drives setting up 3rd and longs by sacks and pressure rather than 3 and short. By getting a few picks and disrupting drives as well as giving us a few short fields, we should be able to score enough points to win.

I hope we can run with 8 in the box because if we can, it is going to a good day. I have always wanted a team that could run the ball even when you know what they are going to do.