Nice win over the Saints last week on Thursday Night Football, wasn’t it?

Well, about that.

The Broncos defense is indisputably elite, and the downtrodden Saints had no shot at proving otherwise. And while the scoreboard showed a lopsided final of 33-10, the stat line for quarterback Bo Nix wasn’t as impressive. The rookie went a ho-hum 16-for-24 for 164 yards and no touchdowns – not exactly the kind of numbers everyone would like to see against a defense that couldn’t even slow down Denver. Granted, the run was available and effective, so it’s hard to complain too much. Still, fans – and perhaps the organization itself – are dying to see Nix play like the franchise quarterback he ultimately needs to be.

If he doesn’t play the part against the worst team in the NFL, the questions will begin to swirl.

Carolina is downright terrible. How terrible? The Broncos (not the Lions, not the Vikings, not the Chiefs) are a double-digit favorite. That says a lot. The Panthers give up more points per game than any team and have an offense that can’t score and can’t sustain drives; Nix should have ample opportunity to show his wares.

Now, the Panthers also “boast” the worst rushing defense in the league, so there will be temptation to simply run the ball down their throat.

But should that be Sean Payton’s M.O.?

No team in the NFL should be overlooked (those guys get paid, too), but the Panthers represent a chance for the Broncos offense – particularly their young quarterback – to build some confidence.

So what will we see on Sunday? Here’s our best guess.

Cody Roark

Carolina is a team right now that looks like an opponent Denver can toy with, but the internal focus in the locker room isn’t on that. The players know it’s any given Sunday and they aren’t overlooking the Panthers. The Broncos offense tried to take some designed shots last week, but coverage changed some of those looks. Ejiro Evero has an axe to grind against his former team, so I’d expect an aggressive approach. The Broncos offense shouldn’t change their approach; they need to run well and throw it well on Sunday and Carolina is a great way to build on it.

Mark Knudson

First off, Carolina has won a game, so you can’t take anything for granted. The Broncos were similar favorites over New England last December, and we know how that turned out. However, if Denver comes out ready to play and takes care of business in the first half – both in the run game and the pass game – the second half could offer an opportunity to work on roster depth. Sprinkle in some reserves and get some playing time for guys you might have to count on later in the season. Also, this is the best chance to see Zach Wilson get some snaps. Forget Stidham, he’s just fine holding that proverbial clipboard. Get Wilson in the game to showcase him for the upcoming trade deadline. If he performs well, you might be able to get a fourth or fifth-round pick for him from a QB needy contender. If Bo has a nice first half, that should be enough of a springboard for the next two tough road games. Remember, this is still a rebuild and you still need ways to improve the roster for the future. Showcasing your No.3 QB, whom you have no plans to keep after this season, would be a smart move in order to acquire another building block in the next draft. It all starts with the team coming out and putting the Panthers down early.

Dan Mohrmann

The goal for Sunday should be pretty simple. Bo Nix needs to throw for over 300 yards and a couple of touchdowns and the Broncos offense needs to score at least 42 points. The Panthers are the NFL version of a slump buster and while the Broncos are not in a slump per se, this is a chance to get a young franchise quarterback a ton of confidence throwing the ball. If it’s not working, gash the Panthers with the run. But throw early, throw often and give the kid a chance to show that he truly belongs in the NFL.