4 Carolina Panthers critical to improvements in Week 12 vs. Broncos

After yet another disappointing loss, which Carolina Panthers are key to salvaging some pride in Week 12 against the Denver Broncos?

Well, the Carolina Panthers got their answer. We wish it wasn’t this painful, but it is what it is at this point.

This season has once again been an enigma that could never quite be figured out, with the Panthers constantly teetering between contention and a full-blown rebuild. Much like the entirety of the Matt Rhule era.

There were flashes, glimpses of hope that this team could be more than what we all knew it was. But that’s all they were.

The defense has been one of the two bright spots this season with young stars finally coming into their own. Derrick Brown locked down the interior along with another solid year from Brian Burns being the solitary source of pressure.

However, even this bright spot has had weak points that show up at the worst moments. Most notably the defensive backfield has been less than impressive.

The other, perhaps more surprising, bright spot in recent weeks has been the Panthers’ rushing attack headlined by a somewhat streaky D’Onta Foreman. The running back racked up a pair of 100-yard performances, both of which were followed up by a near-enough nonexistent performance the following week.

So at this point in the season, even the good comes with bad and it’s going to be a long haul for the Panthers team and its fanbase alike moving forward.

The Panthers are going to need all the grit that they can get when they face a shockingly dysfunctional Denver Broncos in Week 12. But who exactly will be key to the team pulling a victory out of thin air?