Quick answer
- Winner
- Denver Broncos
- Final score
- Denver Broncos 21–20 Carolina Panthers
- Halftime
- Carolina Panthers 17–7 Denver Broncos at halftime
- FantasyHQ MVP
- G. Olsen
- Top passer
- C. Newton
- Biggest EPA play
- (14:15) (Shotgun) 1-C.Newton pass short left intended for 13-K.Benjamin INTERCEPTED by 25-…
- Game date
- 2016-09-08
Game summary
The Denver Broncos beat the Carolina Panthers 21–20 on 2016-09-08, overcoming Carolina Panthers's 17–7 halftime lead. G. Olsen posted a game-high +5.51 total EPA in the receiving.
The highest-scoring period was Q2 with 17 combined points.
Line score
Final score and points by quarter.
| Q1 | Q2 | Q4 | — | — | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Carolina Panthers | 7 | 10 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 20 |
 Denver Broncos | 0 | 7 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 21 |
Scoring Map
Each pin marks where a score occurred on the field — yard line from play-by-play.
CARCarolina Panthers(7:20) (Shotgun) 1-C.Newton pass short right to 13-K.Benjamin for 14 yards, TOUCHDOWN. PENALTY on CAR-70-T.Turner, Taunting, 15 yards, enforced between downs. Penalty to be assessed on the kickoff.
9-G.Gano extra point is GOOD, Center-44-J.Jansen, Holder-8-A.Lee.
(12:23) 32-A.Janovich right guard for 28 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
8-B.McManus extra point is GOOD, Center-42-C.Kreiter, Holder-9-R.Dixon. PENALTY on CAR, Defensive Offside, 5 yards, enforced between downs. Penalty to be assessed on the kickoff.
(3:07) (Shotgun) 1-C.Newton right end for 2 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
9-G.Gano extra point is GOOD, Center-44-J.Jansen, Holder-8-A.Lee.
(:07) 9-G.Gano 44 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-44-J.Jansen, Holder-8-A.Lee. Penalty on DEN-21-A.Talib, Defensive Offside, declined.
(15:00) (Shotgun) 13-T.Siemian pass short left to 22-C.Anderson for 25 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
8-B.McManus extra point is GOOD, Center-42-C.Kreiter, Holder-9-R.Dixon.
(9:30) (Shotgun) 22-C.Anderson up the middle for 1 yard, TOUCHDOWN.
8-B.McManus extra point is GOOD, Center-42-C.Kreiter, Holder-9-R.Dixon.
(4:25) 9-G.Gano 36 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-44-J.Jansen, Holder-8-A.Lee.
DENDenver BroncosFantasyHQ Analytics
Scoring timeline
Chronological scoring plays — scroll to follow the game.
- CARCarolina Panthers
Q1 7:20TD KBK. BenjaminPoints+6
- Yard line
- DEN 14
- Score
- 6-0
(7:20) (Shotgun) 1-C.Newton pass short right to 13-K.Benjamin for 14 yards, TOUCHDOWN. PENALTY on CAR-70-T.Turner, Taunting, 15 yards, enforced between downs. Penalty to be assessed on the kickoff.
- CARCarolina Panthers
Q1 7:13XP Graham GanoPoints+1
- Yard line
- DEN 15
- Score
- 7-0
9-G.Gano extra point is GOOD, Center-44-J.Jansen, Holder-8-A.Lee.
- DENDenver Broncos
Q2 12:23TD AJA. JanovichPoints+6
- Yard line
- CAR 28
- Score
- 7-6
(12:23) 32-A.Janovich right guard for 28 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
- DENDenver Broncos
Q2 12:16XP Brandon McManusPoints+1
- Yard line
- CAR 15
- Score
- 7-7
8-B.McManus extra point is GOOD, Center-42-C.Kreiter, Holder-9-R.Dixon. PENALTY on CAR, Defensive Offside, 5 yards, enforced between downs. Penalty to be assessed on the kickoff.
- CARCarolina Panthers
Q2 3:07TD CNC. NewtonPoints+6
- Yard line
- DEN 2
- Score
- 13-7
(3:07) (Shotgun) 1-C.Newton right end for 2 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
- CARCarolina Panthers
Q2 3:01XP Graham GanoPoints+1
- Yard line
- DEN 15
- Score
- 14-7
9-G.Gano extra point is GOOD, Center-44-J.Jansen, Holder-8-A.Lee.
- CARCarolina Panthers
Q2 0:07FG Graham GanoPoints+3
- Yard line
- DEN 26
- Score
- 17-7
(:07) 9-G.Gano 44 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-44-J.Jansen, Holder-8-A.Lee. Penalty on DEN-21-A.Talib, Defensive Offside, declined.
- DENDenver Broncos
Q4 15:00TD Calvin AndersonPoints+6
- Yard line
- CAR 25
- Score
- 17-13
(15:00) (Shotgun) 13-T.Siemian pass short left to 22-C.Anderson for 25 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
- DENDenver Broncos
Q4 14:50XP Brandon McManusPoints+1
- Yard line
- CAR 15
- Score
- 17-14
8-B.McManus extra point is GOOD, Center-42-C.Kreiter, Holder-9-R.Dixon.
- DENDenver Broncos
Q4 9:30TD Calvin AndersonPoints+6
- Yard line
- CAR 1
- Score
- 17-20
(9:30) (Shotgun) 22-C.Anderson up the middle for 1 yard, TOUCHDOWN.
- DENDenver Broncos
Q4 9:26XP Brandon McManusPoints+1
- Yard line
- CAR 15
- Score
- 17-21
8-B.McManus extra point is GOOD, Center-42-C.Kreiter, Holder-9-R.Dixon.
- CARCarolina Panthers
Q4 4:25FG Graham GanoPoints+3
- Yard line
- DEN 18
- Score
- 20-21
(4:25) 9-G.Gano 36 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-44-J.Jansen, Holder-8-A.Lee.
Stars of the game
Top performers by total expected points added (EPA).
- 1G. Olsen · Carolina Panthers · Receiving · +5.51 total EPA · 9 snaps · +0.61 EPA/play
- 2A. Janovich · Denver Broncos · Rushing · +3.14 total EPA · 1 snaps · +3.14 EPA/play
- 3Calvin Anderson · Denver Broncos · Rushing · +3.13 total EPA · 20 snaps · +0.16 EPA/play
- 4
Drake Thomas · Denver Broncos · Receiving · +2.81 total EPA · 6 snaps · +0.47 EPA/play - 5Calvin Anderson · Denver Broncos · Receiving · +2.76 total EPA · 5 snaps · +0.55 EPA/play
- 6V. Green · Denver Broncos · Receiving · +1.85 total EPA · 5 snaps · +0.37 EPA/play
- 7
Josaiah Stewart · Carolina Panthers · Rushing · +1.43 total EPA · 15 snaps · +0.10 EPA/play - 8K. Benjamin · Carolina Panthers · Receiving · +1.23 total EPA · 12 snaps · +0.10 EPA/play
FantasyHQ Game MVP
Highest total EPA with the player's top snap and the game's biggest single play when different.
FantasyHQ Game MVP
G. Olsen — CAR · Receiving
G. Olsen posted the highest total EPA (+5.51) in the game, the strongest overall impact for Carolina Panthers. Across 9 counted snaps, they averaged +0.61 EPA per play.
G. Olsen's top snap (+2.48 EPA): (4:00) (Shotgun) 1-C.Newton pass short right to 88-G.Olsen to DEN 4 for 15 yards (43-T.Ward).
Biggest single play (-5.40 EPA): C. Newton — (14:15) (Shotgun) 1-C.Newton pass short left intended for 13-K.Benjamin INTERCEPTED by 25-C.Harris (25-C.Harris) at CAR 38. 25-C.Harris to CAR 38 for no gain (68-A.Norwell). PENALTY on CAR-68-A.Norwel
Quarterback report card
C. Newton led all passers in efficiency for Carolina Panthers, setting the tone in the passing game according to FantasyHQ analytics.
- C. Newton (Carolina Panthers) · 38 dropbacks · 47.4% completion · -3.9% CPOE · +0.03 EPA/play · +1.13 total EPA
Trevor Siemian (Denver Broncos) · 32 dropbacks · 56.2% completion · +1.5% CPOE · +0.01 EPA/play · +0.29 total EPA
Team stats comparison
Side-by-side offensive and defensive efficiency.
| Stat | Carolina Panthers | Denver Broncos |
|---|---|---|
| Offensive EPA/play | +0.031 | +0.026 |
| Offensive success rate | 43.8% | 45.7% |
| Pass EPA/play | +0.030 | +0.009 |
| Rush EPA/play | +0.057 | +0.051 |
| Defensive EPA/play | -0.026 | -0.031 |
| Defensive success rate | 54.3% | 56.2% |
Drive & efficiency notes
Both offenses finished within striking distance on EPA per play (Carolina Panthers +0.03, Denver Broncos +0.03) — a true toss-up on the analytics sheet.
Season benchmark context (offensive EPA per play):
- Carolina Panthers: +0.03 EPA/play (61st percentile vs. 2016 team-game averages)
- Denver Broncos: +0.03 EPA/play (60th percentile vs. 2016 team-game averages)
- Carolina Panthers: 10 drives, +2.75 total EPA, 4 scoring drives
- Denver Broncos: 11 drives, +1.82 total EPA, 3 scoring drives
Who scored touchdowns and field goals
Every touchdown and field goal from official play-by-play.
Touchdowns
- Carolina Panthers — K. Benjamin (C. Newton pass)
- Denver Broncos — A. Janovich
- Carolina Panthers — C. Newton
- Denver Broncos — Calvin Anderson (Trevor Siemian pass)
- Denver Broncos — Calvin Anderson
Field goals
- Carolina Panthers — Graham Gano
- Carolina Panthers — Graham Gano
Quarter by quarter
Quarter-by-quarter recap from live scoring plays.
The opening quarter: Carolina Panthers won the period 7–0. Carolina Panthers found the end zone from the DEN 14 (Q1 7:20); Carolina Panthers added 1 points from the DEN 15 (Q1 7:13) — 9-G.Gano extra point is GOOD, Center-44-J.Jansen, Holder-8-A.Lee..
The second quarter: Carolina Panthers won the period 10–7. Denver Broncos found the end zone from the CAR 28 (Q2 12:23) — (12:23) 32-A.Janovich right guard for 28 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; Denver Broncos added 1 points from the CAR 15 (Q2 12:16); Carolina Panthers found the end zone from the DEN 2 (Q2 3:07) — (3:07) (Shotgun) 1-C.Newton right end for 2 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; Carolina Panthers added 1 points from the DEN 15 (Q2 3:01) — 9-G.Gano extra point is GOOD, Center-44-J.Jansen, Holder-8-A.Lee.; Carolina Panthers connected on a field goal from the DEN 26 (Q2 0:07) — (:07) 9-G.Gano 44 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-44-J.Jansen, Holder-8-A.Lee. Penalty on DEN-21-A.Talib, Defensive Offside, declined..
The fourth quarter: Denver Broncos won the period 14–3. Denver Broncos found the end zone from the CAR 25 (Q4 15:00) — (15:00) (Shotgun) 13-T.Siemian pass short left to 22-C.Anderson for 25 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; Denver Broncos added 1 points from the CAR 15 (Q4 14:50) — 8-B.McManus extra point is GOOD, Center-42-C.Kreiter, Holder-9-R.Dixon.; Denver Broncos found the end zone from the CAR 1 (Q4 9:30) — (9:30) (Shotgun) 22-C.Anderson up the middle for 1 yard, TOUCHDOWN.; Denver Broncos added 1 points from the CAR 15 (Q4 9:26) — 8-B.McManus extra point is GOOD, Center-42-C.Kreiter, Holder-9-R.Dixon.; Carolina Panthers connected on a field goal from the DEN 18 (Q4 4:25) — (4:25) 9-G.Gano 36 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-44-J.Jansen, Holder-8-A.Lee..
Turning points
Plays that moved win probability the most.
- Carolina Panthers (Q4 0:09) — (:09) 9-G.Gano 50 yard field goal is No Good, Wide Left, Center-44-J.Jansen, Holder-8-A.Lee.
- Carolina Panthers (Q4 14:15) — (14:15) (Shotgun) 1-C.Newton pass short left intended for 13-K.Benjamin INTERCEPTED by 25-C.Harris (25-C.Harris) at CAR 38. 25-C.Harris to CAR 38 for no gain (68-A.Norwell). PENALTY on CAR-68-A.Norwel
- Carolina Panthers (Q4 2:00) — (2:00) (Shotgun) 1-C.Newton pass incomplete deep right to 13-K.Benjamin (21-A.Talib). PENALTY on DEN-25-C.Harris, Illegal Use of Hands, 5 yards, enforced at CAR 29 - No Play.
- Carolina Panthers (Q4 0:29) — (:29) (No Huddle, Shotgun) 1-C.Newton pass short middle to 13-K.Benjamin to DEN 37 for 16 yards (36-K.Webster).
- Denver Broncos (Q2 12:23) — (12:23) 32-A.Janovich right guard for 28 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
Impact plays
Highest EPA snaps that flipped field position.
- Carolina Panthers (Q4 14:15) — (14:15) (Shotgun) 1-C.Newton pass short left intended for 13-K.Benjamin INTERCEPTED by 25-C.Harris (25-C.Harris) at CAR 38. 25-C.Harris to CAR 38 for no gain (68-A.Norwell). PENALTY on CAR-68-A.Norwel
- Denver Broncos (Q1 11:47) — (11:47) 23-D.Booker right guard to CAR 29 for no gain (95-C.Johnson). FUMBLES (95-C.Johnson), RECOVERED by CAR-54-S.Thompson at CAR 29. 54-S.Thompson to CAR 29 for no gain (23-D.Booker).
- Denver Broncos (Q1 1:09) — (1:09) (Shotgun) 13-T.Siemian pass short right intended for 10-E.Sanders INTERCEPTED by 58-T.Davis (98-S.Lotulelei) at CAR 32. 58-T.Davis to CAR 36 for 4 yards (13-T.Siemian).
- Denver Broncos (Q3 9:17) — (9:17) 13-T.Siemian pass deep right intended for 10-E.Sanders INTERCEPTED by 25-B.Benwikere at CAR 10. 25-B.Benwikere to CAR 11 for 1 yard (10-E.Sanders).
Every scoring play
Chronological scoring with play-by-play context.
- Carolina Panthers TD (+6) — Q1 7:20 · DEN 14 · Score 6-0
(7:20) (Shotgun) 1-C.Newton pass short right to 13-K.Benjamin for 14 yards, TOUCHDOWN. PENALTY on CAR-70-T.Turner, Taunting, 15 yards, enforced between downs. Penalty to be assessed on the kickoff. - Carolina Panthers XP (+1) — Q1 7:13 · DEN 15 · Score 7-0
9-G.Gano extra point is GOOD, Center-44-J.Jansen, Holder-8-A.Lee. - Denver Broncos TD (+6) — Q2 12:23 · CAR 28 · Score 7-6
(12:23) 32-A.Janovich right guard for 28 yards, TOUCHDOWN. - Denver Broncos XP (+1) — Q2 12:16 · CAR 15 · Score 7-7
8-B.McManus extra point is GOOD, Center-42-C.Kreiter, Holder-9-R.Dixon. PENALTY on CAR, Defensive Offside, 5 yards, enforced between downs. Penalty to be assessed on the kickoff. - Carolina Panthers TD (+6) — Q2 3:07 · DEN 2 · Score 13-7
(3:07) (Shotgun) 1-C.Newton right end for 2 yards, TOUCHDOWN. - Carolina Panthers XP (+1) — Q2 3:01 · DEN 15 · Score 14-7
9-G.Gano extra point is GOOD, Center-44-J.Jansen, Holder-8-A.Lee. - Carolina Panthers FG (+3) — Q2 0:07 · DEN 26 · Score 17-7
(:07) 9-G.Gano 44 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-44-J.Jansen, Holder-8-A.Lee. Penalty on DEN-21-A.Talib, Defensive Offside, declined. - Denver Broncos TD (+6) — Q4 15:00 · CAR 25 · Score 17-13
(15:00) (Shotgun) 13-T.Siemian pass short left to 22-C.Anderson for 25 yards, TOUCHDOWN. - Denver Broncos XP (+1) — Q4 14:50 · CAR 15 · Score 17-14
8-B.McManus extra point is GOOD, Center-42-C.Kreiter, Holder-9-R.Dixon. - Denver Broncos TD (+6) — Q4 9:30 · CAR 1 · Score 17-20
(9:30) (Shotgun) 22-C.Anderson up the middle for 1 yard, TOUCHDOWN. - Denver Broncos XP (+1) — Q4 9:26 · CAR 15 · Score 17-21
8-B.McManus extra point is GOOD, Center-42-C.Kreiter, Holder-9-R.Dixon. - Carolina Panthers FG (+3) — Q4 4:25 · DEN 18 · Score 20-21
(4:25) 9-G.Gano 36 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-44-J.Jansen, Holder-8-A.Lee.
Key takeaways
What to remember for fantasy research and follow-up box score digging.
- Denver Broncos earned the result — use the box score for snap-level context.
- One-score margin — verify garbage-time stats before drawing fantasy conclusions.
- G. Olsen (Carolina Panthers) led total EPA — start here for highlight and prop research.
- C. Newton (CAR) finished below expected efficiency despite volume.
Frequently asked questions
Who won Carolina Panthers vs Denver Broncos on 2016-09-08?
The Denver Broncos beat the Carolina Panthers 21-20 in Week 1, 2016.
What was the score by quarter in Carolina Panthers vs Denver Broncos?
Q1: Carolina Panthers 7, Denver Broncos 0; Q2: Carolina Panthers 10, Denver Broncos 7; Q4: Carolina Panthers 3, Denver Broncos 14; Final: Carolina Panthers 20, Denver Broncos 21.
Who scored touchdowns and field goals in Carolina Panthers vs Denver Broncos?
Carolina Panthers touchdown — K. Benjamin (C. Newton pass) (Q1 7:20) Denver Broncos touchdown — A. Janovich (Q2 12:23) Carolina Panthers touchdown — C. Newton (Q2 3:07) Denver Broncos touchdown — C. Anderson (T. Siemian pass) (Q4 15:00) Denver Broncos touchdown — C. Anderson (Q4 9:30) Carolina Panthers field goal — G. Gano (Q2 0:07, 3 pts) Carolina Panthers field goal — G. Gano (Q4 4:25, 3 pts) Extra points followed each touchdown unless noted in the play-by-play.
How did the quarterbacks play in Carolina Panthers vs Denver Broncos?
C. Newton (Carolina Panthers), 47.4% completion, -3.9% CPOE, +0.03 EPA per dropback, +1.13 total passing EPA. Trevor Siemian (Denver Broncos), 56.2% completion, +1.5% CPOE, +0.01 EPA per dropback, +0.29 total passing EPA.
Who was FantasyHQ's player of the game in Carolina Panthers vs Denver Broncos?
G. Olsen (Carolina Panthers) was FantasyHQ's Game MVP with +5.51 total EPA on Receiving plays. across 9 snaps. Their top snap (+2.48 EPA): (4:00) (Shotgun) 1-C.Newton pass short right to 88-G.Olsen to DEN 4 for 15 yards (43-T.Ward)..
Was Carolina Panthers vs Denver Broncos a close game?
Yes — the margin was 1 points. Denver Broncos won 21-20 in a game that came down to the wire.
Season records after this game
Carolina Panthers
Now 0-1 L
Denver Broncos
Now 1-0 W
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