Game story
In Week 14 of the 2020 NFL season on 2020-12-13, the Denver Broncos took care of business against the Carolina Panthers, pulling away with a 32–27 final that stayed a one-score game deep into the second half.
The highest-scoring period was Q4 with 24 combined points — the stretch that most shaped the final margin.
T. Bridgewater (Carolina Panthers) paced the passing game, with -0.11 total EPA, and +6.5% completion percentage over expected.
On the individual side, D. Lock (Denver Broncos) delivered the top overall EPA impact at +12.73 — the clearest player-of-the-game signal on the analytics sheet.
The momentum swing (-26.6% win probability) landed in the second quarter when Denver Broncos changed the game: (6:34) (Shotgun) 3-D.Lock sacked at CAR 41 for -9 yards (21-J.Chinn). FUMBLES (21-J.Chinn) [21-J.Chinn], RECOVERED by CAR-94-E.Obada at CAR 43. 94-E.Obada to DEN 3 for 54 yards (10-J.Jeudy).
Line score
Final score and points by quarter.
| Q1 | Q2 | Q3 | Q4 | — | T | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Denver Broncos | 6 | 7 | 12 | 7 | 0 | 32 |
| Carolina Panthers | 0 | 7 | 3 | 17 | 0 | 27 |
Stars of the game
Top performers by total expected points added (EPA) across passing, rushing, and receiving.
- 1 D. Lock · Denver Broncos · Passing · +12.73 total EPA · 33 snaps · +0.39 EPA/play
- 2 K. Hamler · Denver Broncos · Receiving · +8.39 total EPA · 3 snaps · +2.80 EPA/play
- 3 T. Fumagalli · Denver Broncos · Receiving · +6.00 total EPA · 5 snaps · +1.20 EPA/play
- 4 M. Gordon · Denver Broncos · Rushing · +4.15 total EPA · 13 snaps · +0.32 EPA/play
- 5 P. Cooper · Carolina Panthers · Receiving · +3.01 total EPA · 3 snaps · +1.00 EPA/play
- 6 T. Bridgewater · Carolina Panthers · Rushing · +2.61 total EPA · 1 snaps · +2.61 EPA/play
- 7 R. Anderson · Carolina Panthers · Receiving · +1.68 total EPA · 12 snaps · +0.14 EPA/play
- 8 J. Jeudy · Denver Broncos · Receiving · +1.61 total EPA · 4 snaps · +0.40 EPA/play
Player of the game
FantasyHQ analytics player-of-the-game pick based on total EPA and signature plays.
D. Lock — DEN · Passing
D. Lock posted the highest total EPA (+12.73) in the game, making the biggest overall impact on Denver Broncos's efficiency. Across 33 counted snaps, they averaged +0.39 EPA per play.
The signature play (-9.28 EPA) came from Denver Broncos: (6:34) (Shotgun) 3-D.Lock sacked at CAR 41 for -9 yards (21-J.Chinn). FUMBLES (21-J.Chinn) [21-J.Chinn], RECOVERED by CAR-94-E.Obada at CAR 43. 94-E.Obada to DEN 3 for 54 yards (10-J.Jeudy).
Who scored touchdowns and field goals
Every touchdown and field goal with the player named in official play-by-play.
Touchdowns
- Denver Broncos — D. Spencer
- Carolina Panthers — M. Davis
- Denver Broncos — N. Vannett (D. Lock pass)
- Denver Broncos — K. Hamler (D. Lock pass)
- Denver Broncos — T. Patrick (D. Lock pass)
- Carolina Panthers — T. Bridgewater
- Denver Broncos — K. Hamler (D. Lock pass)
- Carolina Panthers — M. Davis
Field goals
- Carolina Panthers — J. Slye
- Carolina Panthers — J. Slye
How it unfolded, quarter by quarter
A quarter-by-quarter recap built from live scoring plays and play descriptions.
The opening quarter: Denver Broncos won the period 6–0. Denver Broncos found the end zone from the DEN 73 (Q1 55:39) — (10:39) 3-J.Charlton punts 56 yards to DEN 17, Center-44-J.Jansen. 11-D.Spencer for 83 yards, TOUCHDOWN..
The second quarter: The quarter finished even at 7–7. Carolina Panthers found the end zone from the DEN 3 (Q2 36:18) — (6:18) (Shotgun) 28-M.Davis up the middle for 3 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; Carolina Panthers added 1 points from the DEN 15 (Q2 36:15) — 4-J.Slye extra point is GOOD, Center-44-J.Jansen, Holder-3-J.Charlton.; Denver Broncos found the end zone from the CAR 2 (Q2 31:38) — (1:38) 71-A.Schlottmann reported in as eligible. 3-D.Lock pass short left to 88-N.Vannett for 2 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; Denver Broncos added 1 points from the CAR 15 (Q2 31:33) — 8-B.McManus extra point is GOOD, Center-46-J.Bobenmoyer, Holder-6-S.Martin..
The third quarter: Denver Broncos won the period 12–3. Denver Broncos found the end zone from the CAR 37 (Q3 26:10) — (11:10) 3-D.Lock pass deep right to 13-K.Hamler for 37 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; Carolina Panthers connected on a field goal from the DEN 17 (Q3 21:57) — (6:57) 4-J.Slye 35 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-44-J.Jansen, Holder-3-J.Charlton.; Denver Broncos found the end zone from the CAR 2 (Q3 18:41) — (3:41) (Shotgun) 3-D.Lock pass short left to 81-T.Patrick for 2 yards, TOUCHDOWN..
The fourth quarter: Carolina Panthers won the period 17–7. Carolina Panthers found the end zone from the DEN 7 (Q4 13:35) — (13:35) (Shotgun) 5-T.Bridgewater up the middle for 7 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; Carolina Panthers added 1 points from the DEN 15 (Q4 13:31) — 4-J.Slye extra point is GOOD, Center-44-J.Jansen, Holder-3-J.Charlton.; Carolina Panthers connected on a field goal from the DEN 8 (Q4 5:15) — (5:15) 4-J.Slye 26 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-44-J.Jansen, Holder-3-J.Charlton.; Denver Broncos found the end zone from the CAR 49 (Q4 4:02) — (4:02) (Shotgun) 3-D.Lock pass deep middle to 13-K.Hamler for 49 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; Denver Broncos added 1 points from the CAR 15 (Q4 3:54) — 8-B.McManus extra point is GOOD, Center-46-J.Bobenmoyer, Holder-6-S.Martin.; Carolina Panthers found the end zone from the DEN 10 (Q4 3:30) — (3:30) (Shotgun) 28-M.Davis up the middle for 10 yards, TOUCHDOWN.; Carolina Panthers added 1 points from the DEN 15 (Q4 3:26) — 4-J.Slye extra point is GOOD, Center-44-J.Jansen, Holder-3-J.Charlton..
Turning points
Plays that moved win probability the most — the swings that decided the game.
- Denver Broncos (Q2 36:34) — (6:34) (Shotgun) 3-D.Lock sacked at CAR 41 for -9 yards (21-J.Chinn). FUMBLES (21-J.Chinn) [21-J.Chinn], RECOVERED by CAR-94-E.Obada at CAR 43. 94-E.Obada to DEN 3 for 54 yards (10-J.Jeudy).
- Carolina Panthers (Q1 55:39) — (10:39) 3-J.Charlton punts 56 yards to DEN 17, Center-44-J.Jansen. 11-D.Spencer for 83 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
- Denver Broncos (Q4 3:00) — (3:00) 6-S.Martin punts 58 yards to CAR 37, Center-46-J.Bobenmoyer. 14-P.Cooper to 50 for 13 yards (97-J.Attaochu). PENALTY on CAR-30-N.Jamerson, Offensive Holding, 10 yards, enforced at CAR 37.
- Denver Broncos (Q2 33:31) — (3:31) (Shotgun) 3-D.Lock pass incomplete short right to 10-J.Jeudy [53-B.Burns]. PENALTY on CAR-53-B.Burns, Roughing the Passer, 15 yards, enforced at DEN 38 - No Play.
- Carolina Panthers (Q4 1:56) — (1:56) (Shotgun) 5-T.Bridgewater pass short left to 10-C.Samuel to CAR 30 for 1 yard (41-D.Bausby).
Impact plays
Highest expected-points added snaps that flipped field position and scoring chances.
- Denver Broncos (Q2 36:34) — (6:34) (Shotgun) 3-D.Lock sacked at CAR 41 for -9 yards (21-J.Chinn). FUMBLES (21-J.Chinn) [21-J.Chinn], RECOVERED by CAR-94-E.Obada at CAR 43. 94-E.Obada to DEN 3 for 54 yards (10-J.Jeudy).
- Carolina Panthers (Q1 55:39) — (10:39) 3-J.Charlton punts 56 yards to DEN 17, Center-44-J.Jansen. 11-D.Spencer for 83 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
- Denver Broncos (Q4 4:02) — (4:02) (Shotgun) 3-D.Lock pass deep middle to 13-K.Hamler for 49 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
- Denver Broncos (Q3 26:10) — (11:10) 3-D.Lock pass deep right to 13-K.Hamler for 37 yards, TOUCHDOWN.
Quarterback report card
T.Bridgewater led all passers in efficiency for Carolina Panthers, setting the tone in the passing game according to FantasyHQ analytics.
- T.Bridgewater (Carolina Panthers) · 48 dropbacks · 62.5% completion · +6.5% CPOE · -0.00 EPA/play · -0.11 total EPA
- D.Lock (Denver Broncos) · 33 dropbacks · 63.6% completion · +12.2% CPOE · +0.39 EPA/play · +12.73 total EPA
Team stats comparison
Side-by-side offensive and defensive efficiency from FantasyHQ analytics.
| Stat | Denver Broncos | Carolina Panthers |
|---|---|---|
| Offensive EPA/play | +0.075 | -0.021 |
| Offensive success rate | 44.7% | 42.4% |
| Pass EPA/play | +0.386 | -0.002 |
| Rush EPA/play | -0.037 | +0.243 |
| Defensive EPA/play | +0.021 | -0.075 |
| Defensive success rate | 57.6% | 55.3% |
By the numbers
Despite the final score, Denver Broncos generated the better offensive EPA per play (+0.07 vs -0.02), suggesting they moved the ball more efficiently.
- Carolina Panthers: 11 drives, -1.76 total EPA, 6 scoring drives
- Denver Broncos: 11 drives, +5.71 total EPA, 4 scoring drives
Key takeaways
What to remember for fantasy research, film review, and follow-up box score digging.
- Denver Broncos leaves with the win and the better postgame narrative for Week-to-week momentum.
- One-score margin — fantasy managers should double-check garbage-time stats before drawing conclusions.
- D. Lock (Denver Broncos) is the first name to pull up for highlight reels and prop-retrospective research.
- T. Bridgewater (CAR) beat expectation through the air — positive CPOE game for stack builds.
- D. Lock (DEN) beat expectation through the air — positive CPOE game for stack builds.
Every scoring play
Chronological scoring with field position and full play-by-play context.
- Denver Broncos TD (+6) — Q1 55:39 · DEN 73 · Score 6-0
(10:39) 3-J.Charlton punts 56 yards to DEN 17, Center-44-J.Jansen. 11-D.Spencer for 83 yards, TOUCHDOWN. - Carolina Panthers TD (+6) — Q2 36:18 · DEN 3 · Score 6-6
(6:18) (Shotgun) 28-M.Davis up the middle for 3 yards, TOUCHDOWN. - Carolina Panthers XP (+1) — Q2 36:15 · DEN 15 · Score 6-7
4-J.Slye extra point is GOOD, Center-44-J.Jansen, Holder-3-J.Charlton. - Denver Broncos TD (+6) — Q2 31:38 · CAR 2 · Score 12-7
(1:38) 71-A.Schlottmann reported in as eligible. 3-D.Lock pass short left to 88-N.Vannett for 2 yards, TOUCHDOWN. - Denver Broncos XP (+1) — Q2 31:33 · CAR 15 · Score 13-7
8-B.McManus extra point is GOOD, Center-46-J.Bobenmoyer, Holder-6-S.Martin. - Denver Broncos TD (+6) — Q3 26:10 · CAR 37 · Score 19-7
(11:10) 3-D.Lock pass deep right to 13-K.Hamler for 37 yards, TOUCHDOWN. - Carolina Panthers FG (+3) — Q3 21:57 · DEN 17 · Score 19-10
(6:57) 4-J.Slye 35 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-44-J.Jansen, Holder-3-J.Charlton. - Denver Broncos TD (+6) — Q3 18:41 · CAR 2 · Score 25-10
(3:41) (Shotgun) 3-D.Lock pass short left to 81-T.Patrick for 2 yards, TOUCHDOWN. - Carolina Panthers TD (+6) — Q4 13:35 · DEN 7 · Score 25-16
(13:35) (Shotgun) 5-T.Bridgewater up the middle for 7 yards, TOUCHDOWN. - Carolina Panthers XP (+1) — Q4 13:31 · DEN 15 · Score 25-17
4-J.Slye extra point is GOOD, Center-44-J.Jansen, Holder-3-J.Charlton. - Carolina Panthers FG (+3) — Q4 5:15 · DEN 8 · Score 25-20
(5:15) 4-J.Slye 26 yard field goal is GOOD, Center-44-J.Jansen, Holder-3-J.Charlton. - Denver Broncos TD (+6) — Q4 4:02 · CAR 49 · Score 31-20
(4:02) (Shotgun) 3-D.Lock pass deep middle to 13-K.Hamler for 49 yards, TOUCHDOWN. - Denver Broncos XP (+1) — Q4 3:54 · CAR 15 · Score 32-20
8-B.McManus extra point is GOOD, Center-46-J.Bobenmoyer, Holder-6-S.Martin. - Carolina Panthers TD (+6) — Q4 3:30 · DEN 10 · Score 32-26
(3:30) (Shotgun) 28-M.Davis up the middle for 10 yards, TOUCHDOWN. - Carolina Panthers XP (+1) — Q4 3:26 · DEN 15 · Score 32-27
4-J.Slye extra point is GOOD, Center-44-J.Jansen, Holder-3-J.Charlton.
Frequently asked questions
Who won Denver Broncos vs Carolina Panthers?
The Denver Broncos beat the Carolina Panthers 32-27 in Week 14, 2020 on 2020-12-13.
What was the final score of Denver Broncos vs Carolina Panthers?
The final score was Denver Broncos 32, Carolina Panthers 27 (DEN 32-27 CAR) in Week 14, 2020 on 2020-12-13.
What was the score by quarter in Denver Broncos vs Carolina Panthers?
Q1: Denver Broncos 6, Carolina Panthers 0; Q2: Denver Broncos 7, Carolina Panthers 7; Q3: Denver Broncos 12, Carolina Panthers 3; Q4: Denver Broncos 7, Carolina Panthers 17; Final: Denver Broncos 32, Carolina Panthers 27.
Who scored touchdowns and field goals in Denver Broncos vs Carolina Panthers?
Denver Broncos touchdown — D. Spencer (Q1 55:39) Carolina Panthers touchdown — M. Davis (Q2 36:18) Denver Broncos touchdown — N. Vannett (D. Lock pass) (Q2 31:38) Denver Broncos touchdown — K. Hamler (D. Lock pass) (Q3 26:10) Denver Broncos touchdown — T. Patrick (D. Lock pass) (Q3 18:41) Carolina Panthers touchdown — T. Bridgewater (Q4 13:35) Denver Broncos touchdown — K. Hamler (D. Lock pass) (Q4 4:02) Carolina Panthers touchdown — M. Davis (Q4 3:30) Carolina Panthers field goal — J. Slye (Q3 21:57, 3 pts) Carolina Panthers field goal — J. Slye (Q4 5:15, 3 pts) Extra points followed each touchdown unless noted in the play-by-play.
How did the quarterbacks play in Denver Broncos vs Carolina Panthers?
T. Bridgewater (Carolina Panthers), 62.5% completion, +6.5% CPOE, -0.00 EPA per dropback, -0.11 total passing EPA. D. Lock (Denver Broncos), 63.6% completion, +12.2% CPOE, +0.39 EPA per dropback, +12.73 total passing EPA.
Who was the most impactful player in Denver Broncos vs Carolina Panthers?
D. Lock (Denver Broncos) led the game in total EPA with +12.73 on passing plays. across 33 snaps. The top single-play swing was (-9.28 EPA): (6:34) (Shotgun) 3-D.Lock sacked at CAR 41 for -9 yards (21-J.Chinn). FUMBLES (21-J.Chinn) [21-J.Chinn], RECOVERED by CAR-94-E.Obada at CAR 43. 94-E.Obada to DEN 3 for 54 yards (10. The biggest win-probability swing was -26.6%.
Was Denver Broncos vs Carolina Panthers a close game?
Yes — the margin was 5 points. Denver Broncos won 32-27 in a game that stayed a one-score game deep into the second half.
Season records after this game
Denver Broncos
Entered 4-8 Now 5-8 W
Carolina Panthers
Entered 4-8 Now 4-9 L
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