4 sneaky threats the Panthers should watch vs. Broncos
By Dean Jones
4-8. 45. CBS. Sunday, Dec 13. 4-8. 87. Panthers -3.5. 1 PM ET
Which sneaky threats should the Carolina Panthers watch out for vs. Broncos?
It is going to be interesting to see just what adjustments have been made by the Carolina Panthers during their bye week. Their time away from football was a long time coming and despite some health concerns when they got back to testing, it appears as if almost everyone who was placed on the reserve/COVID list will be good to go against the Denver Broncos.
The Carolina Panthers won’t have Christian McCaffrey, who will miss out against his father’s old team after injuring his quad in a personal workout. Mike Davis will once again shoulder the running duties and the expected absence of D.J. Moore is another element that might complicate matters for quarterback Teddy Bridgewater.
There is more at stake for Bridgewater than most down the stretch and it is vital he gets the final quarter of the campaign off to the best possible start. This represents Carolina’s best chance of achieving success from their remaining schedule and if they don’t manage to do so, it is going to come with more finger-pointing than ever before.
Here are four sneaky threats that the Panthers should be worried about when they take the field at Bank of America Stadium in Week 14.
Player No. 1
Duke Dawson Jr. – CB
The Broncos will be without the services of All-Pro cornerback A.J. Bouye, who was handed a six-game suspension by the NFL for a PED violation. This means that Duke Dawson Jr. will step up into a more increased role and this might just be the opportunity he’s been waiting for to announce himself at the next level.
Dawson hasn’t seen much in the way of minutes since Denver selected him in the second round back in 2018. The former Florida standout has been allowed to develop at his own pace by the Broncos and the Panthers should not underestimate his skill set.
The corner comes with 4.46 speed and was an accomplished ballhawk for the Gators, which is something we haven’t yet seen in the NFL but could be down to getting little in the way of reps during his career so far.