The problem for the Denver Broncos isn’t just that they’re at risk of falling out of the AFC playoff race entirely with a Week 12 loss to the Carolina Panthers. It’s that these Broncos have found a way to embarrass them along the way.
Things were bad enough over the course of a first half where Sam Darnold was mostly forgettable yet still significantly better than Russell Wilson, who went to the locker room at halftime with 53 passing yards. Carolina led 10-3 when Darnold look a third quarter snap from the Denver two-yard line, called his own number on a read-option play, fumbled … and then scored anyway by rolling into the end zone with the ball like an eight-year-old who just found a steep hill.
Stop, drop and roll!
📺: #DENvsCAR on FOX
📱: Stream on NFL+ https://t.co/2KsxO2WI71 pic.twitter.com/pv5xaYpKDc— NFL (@NFL) November 27, 2022
This is very, very bad for Denver. The Broncos’ saving grace in 2022 had been a top five defense that kept this team in the hunt each Sunday despite objectively awful performances from its offense. But now cracks are beginning to show in that facade as all the nonsense Wilson has bred like Persian cats begins to spread to the rest of a formerly competent team.
That’s how, at the time of publication, Sam Darnold — who is famously Sam Darnold — was roughly two touchdowns more valuable than Wilson in the midst of a 17-3 game, according to the NFL’s expected points added stat:
Losing to the Panthers, a team without a permanent head coach and a punchline of a quarterback situation, would be bad enough. Darnold making it a two-possession lead by picking up his own fumble and then rolling into the end zone before anyone can touch him feels like needless cruelty.
But hey, as long as you’re not from Colorado it’s pretty fun to watch.
