Denver
Broncos
3-5
52
FINAL
17
Carolina
Panthers
2-5
AI Recap
AI RECAPIn a high-scoring affair, the Denver Broncos decisively defeated the Carolina Panthers 52-17 in Week 9 of the 2026 season, showcasing their dominance in both passing and receiving. The win solidifies the Broncos’ playoff hopes as they continue to build momentum in the late stages of the season.
Matthew Stafford was the standout performer for Denver, throwing for an impressive 469 yards and an astonishing seven touchdowns, effectively dismantling the Panthers' secondary. His favorite target was Carnell Tate, who exploded for 164 receiving yards, making key catches that helped the Broncos maintain a relentless offensive rhythm.
While the Broncos' offense stole the spotlight, their defense played a crucial role in the outcome. Denzel Ward led the defense with nine total tackles, while Benjamin St-Juste secured an interception that shifted the momentum in Denver's favor. The turning point came late in the second quarter when the Broncos scored back-to-back touchdowns, putting them ahead 35-10 at halftime and effectively sealing the game.
Passing
| Player | Pos | ATT | CMP | CMP% | YDS | TD | INT | QBR |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Matthew Stafford | QB | 39 | 24 | 62% | 469 | 7 | 0 | 143.0 |
| Jalen Milroe | QB | 35 | 22 | 63% | 267 | 1 | 1 | 83.8 |
Rushing
| Player | Pos | ATT | YDS | YPC | YAC | TD | LNG | FUM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| De'Von Achane | HB | 18 | 69 | 3.8 | 16 | 1 | 17 | 0 |
| Zach Charbonnet | HB | 11 | 62 | 5.6 | 41 | 0 | 26 | 0 |
| Tank Bigsby | HB | 4 | 17 | 4.3 | — | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| Matthew Stafford | QB | 3 | 16 | 5.3 | — | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| Jalen Milroe | QB | 4 | 14 | 3.5 | — | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Chase Brown | HB | 1 | 3 | 3.0 | — | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| Tylan Wallace | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Zavion Thomas | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| De'Zhaun Stribling | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Adam Trautman | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rashee Rice | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Carnell Tate | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Terrance Ferguson | TE | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Nick Westbrook-Ikhine | WR | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Malik Nabers | WR | 1 | -3 | -3.0 | — | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Receiving
| Player | Pos | REC | YDS | YPR | YAC | TD | LNG | DROP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Carnell Tate | WR | 4 | 164 | 41.0 | 140 | 2 | 73 | 1 |
| De'Zhaun Stribling | WR | 9 | 161 | 17.9 | 80 | 1 | 75 | 1 |
| Rashee Rice | WR | 6 | 88 | 14.7 | 25 | 1 | 33 | 0 |
| Nick Westbrook-Ikhine | WR | 2 | 83 | 41.5 | 72 | 1 | 70 | 0 |
| Terrance Ferguson | TE | 4 | 56 | 14.0 | 21 | 2 | 26 | 0 |
| Adam Trautman | TE | 4 | 41 | 10.3 | 18 | 0 | 15 | 0 |
| Tank Bigsby | HB | 2 | 31 | 15.5 | 22 | 0 | 16 | 0 |
| Malik Nabers | WR | 4 | 28 | 7.0 | 6 | 0 | 10 | 0 |
| Zach Charbonnet | HB | 3 | 23 | 7.7 | 7 | 0 | 13 | 1 |
| Marquise Brown | WR | 2 | 21 | 10.5 | 10 | 0 | 15 | 0 |
| Zavion Thomas | WR | 1 | 9 | 9.0 | 5 | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| Harrison Bryant | TE | 1 | 9 | 9.0 | 6 | 1 | 9 | 0 |
| Dontayvion Wicks | WR | 1 | 6 | 6.0 | 3 | 0 | 6 | 0 |
| De'Von Achane | HB | 1 | 5 | 5.0 | 4 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| Oscar Delp | TE | 1 | 2 | 2.0 | — | 0 | 2 | 0 |
Defense
| Player | Pos | TKL | SACK | INT | FF | PD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bobby Okereke | MIKE | 9 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Denzel Ward | CB | 9 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kevin King | SS | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Quinnen Williams | DT | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Benjamin St-Juste | CB | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| DeForest Buckner | DT | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jamel Dean | CB | 5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jaycee Horn | CB | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Kayvon Thibodeaux | LEDG | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Rayshawn Jenkins | FS | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Justin Strnad | WILL | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| A.J. Epenesa | REDG | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jaylon Carlies | WILL | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Deonte Banks | CB | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Dexter Lawrence II | DT | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Kenneth Grant | DT | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jake Golday | WILL | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Anfernee Orji | SAM | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Justin Jefferson | MIKE | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Zack Baun | WILL | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Jonathan Greenard | REDG | 1 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Craig Woodson | SS | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Ty Okada | FS | 1 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Jarran Reed | DT | 1 | 0.5 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Christian Gonzalez | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Nate Wiggins | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Daniel Scott | FS | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Asante Samuel Jr | CB | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Levi Onwuzurike | DT | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Kicking
| Player | Pos | FGM | FGA | XPM | LNG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cam Little | K | 1 | 1 | 2 | 50 |
| JK Scott | P | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Drew Stevens | K | 1 | 3 | 7 | 20 |

