Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young is set to start for the first time since Week 2 after Andy Dalton hurt his right thumb in a car accident this week. However, Young’s return comes at a tough time.
As the first overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, he will be up against the 4-3 Denver Broncos, who have the NFL’s No. 3 scoring defense, allowing just 15.1 points per game. Young will be missing much of the Panthers’ supporting players on both offense and defense.
Carolina’s top two wide receivers, Diontae Johnson (rib) and Adam Thielen (hamstring), are both out for Sunday. Several defensive players are also unavailable against the Broncos: safety Nick Scott (hamstring), safety Jordan Fuller (hamstring), outside linebacker D.J. Wonnum (quadriceps), and safety Jammie Robinson (knee).
This is a tough situation for a Panthers team that has been outscored by 133 points in its first seven games, the worst margin since the 2019 Miami Dolphins, known as the “tank for Tua” team. The Panthers’ defense has allowed 34 or more points in four straight games, which is the longest streak in the franchise’s history.
However, Johnson’s absence might not just be due to injury. Coach Dave Canales was asked on Friday if keeping Johnson, Carolina’s top receiver, out had anything to do with the trade deadline, and his response wasn’t a clear no.
“Those are all conversations [general manager] Dan [Morgan] and [executive VP of football operations] Brandt [Tilis] will handle,” Canales said, via The Athletic. “For me, it’s about doing the best thing for Diontae, the best thing for the offense and the continuity we’re trying to achieve. The fact that we couldn’t get him back on the field this week made me confident that the other guys could step in and handle it.”
Young will face a tough challenge on Sunday in Denver with a weakened team against a Broncos defense that leads the NFL with 112 quarterback pressures and ranks second in sacks with 28.
