DENVER – Sean Payton didn't like the way the Denver Broncos started or ended their 28-14 victory over the injury-plagued Carolina Panthers. In between, however, there was a lot for him to enjoy.

Bo Nix threw three touchdown passes and ran for another, and Denver's defense throttled Bryce Young most of the afternoon, intercepting him twice and sacking him twice.

“Everyone on the field was making plays: receivers, tight ends, running backs,” Nix said. “The ball was distributed to many positions and I thought that was good. Tough on the defense when a lot of people are involved.”

In the best game of his rookie season so far, the Broncos' quarterback threw for 284 yards. He found Nate Adkins from 3 yards and Adam Trautman from 19 yards in the second quarter as the Broncos (5-3) built a 21-7 halftime lead.

However, the Broncos' wide receivers lost two fumbles, both of which led to Carolina touchdowns, allowing the Panthers to score nine straight drives without points.

“We didn’t play a good offense. It's just the truth,” said Payton, who upset some Panthers, particularly cornerback Jaycee Horn, with a fake field goal attempt and a wide receiver pass to take a 21-point lead in the fourth quarter. “So that’s what we expected and we’re going to see a lot better teams.”

Like Baltimore and Kansas City in the next two weeks.

Payton said the Broncos are “still not playing our best football,” and he told his team that “in bigger games than this, some of these mistakes are going to cost us.”

The Panthers (1-7), who had a whopping 22 players listed on their injury report and lost two more players on Sunday, lost for the fifth straight season.

Young was 24 for 37 for 224 yards with two TDs and two interceptions.

“I was definitely grateful, grateful for the opportunity,” Young said. “I was grateful to play, grateful to be out there with the guys. Obviously it didn't go the way we wanted. No matter what happens, I was just lucky to be on the field today.”

Young wasn't the only Carolina player to miss his goal – the Broncos made it 28-7 after the Panthers missed a 24-point fake punt in the third quarter. Safety Sam Franklin Jr. was wide open, but punter Johnny Hekker airmailed the attempt on fourth-and-six.

Four plays later, Nix threw a 9-yard sidearm TD pass to running back Jaleel McLaughlin.

Patrick Surtain II, who scored Carolina's first touchdown, intercepted Young at the Denver 11 on the Panthers' next drive.

Courtland Sutton, who swapped jerseys with former teammate Josey Jewell after the game, caught eight of Nix's passes for 100 yards. It was his first 100-yard game since Week 2 of the 2022 season against Houston.

However, he coughed up the ball at the 1 on his final reception just before the two-minute warning when Trevin Wallace knocked him out and Shy Tuttle recovered his second fumble of the game.

Young was great in the two-minute drill, driving Carolina 98 yards in 10 plays, which paid off with a 15-yard touchdown toss to Jalen Coker with 18 seconds left.

“I’m proud of the guys for how we finished the fight,” Carolina coach Dave Canales said. “The boys played hard the whole time.”

After Week 2, Young was benched and returned as the Panthers' starting quarterback when Andy Dalton sprained his right thumb in a car accident on Tuesday. Since Dalton didn't practice all week because he couldn't handle the football properly, rookie Jack Plummer served as Young's replacement on Sunday.

Canales wasn't ready to name his starting QB for next week.

“We will look at all the information,” he said. “We'll be looking at Andy's health over the next few days and I'll make that decision and have an answer for you in the next few days.”

Things were going well for Young, the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft.

After Tuttle recovered Lil'Jordan Humphrey's fumble at midfield on the game's first drive, Young gave the Panthers a 7-0 lead on rookie Xavier Legette's 6-yard touchdown catch.

This was not only Young's first touchdown throw of the season, but also the first touchdown throw of his career.

However, as the half progressed, the Panthers only managed one first down and the Broncos began to dominate in all phases.

“I didn’t like the ending,” Payton said. “But it was good to get a win.”

Tight end sightings

The TDs for Akins and Trautman were the Broncos' first tight ends of the season and came on what the NFL celebrates as National Tight Ends Day.

“It’s actually kind of crazy how it just happened that day,” Trautman said.

“I was talking to my brother last night and he said he dreamed I would get a touchdown,” Adkins said.

Injuries

Panthers: Young, who fell to 2-17 in his career and 0-3 this season, was without starters Diontae Johnson (rib) and Adam Thielen (hamstring). … TE Feleipe Franks suffered a concussion in punt coverage and OLB DJ Johnson sprained his right ankle.

Next

Panthers: Host the New Orleans Saints next Sunday.

Broncos: Visit the Baltimore Ravens next Sunday.

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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL