The most anticipated NFL revenge matchup of the whole year might be the game between the Denver Broncos and Carolina Panthers this Thursday evening.
The Panthers will be trying to make up for losing to the Broncos in Super Bowl 50 this past February. Egos will come into play and there are axes to grind. It would be safe to say Carolina comes into the game with a huge chip on its shoulder.
But the Broncos plan to be more vicious than ever when it comes to dealing with Cam Newton and the Panthers.
“It doesn’t matter to us. You could have a Dorito on your shoulder for all we care,” Broncos safety T.J. Ward said per Cameron Wolfe of The Denver Post. “But you still have to come in here and beat us.”
Ward and the Broncos defense appear to be ready. What remains to be seen is whether or not the Broncos offense is ready to face Carolina. They are taking the training wheels off of quarterback Trevor Siemian, who has yet to throw a single pass during regulation play time.
The Broncos held a complex quarterback competition that saw Siemian rise to the top and Mark Sanchez be released. Meanwhile, first round pick, rookie Paxton Lynch will be waiting on the sidelines in case the team turns to him later this season.
Even if you don’t care about the rematch, there should be plenty of other storylines worth following when the Broncos and Panthers hit the field.