After winning five of six to establish itself as a potential playoff contender, Denver (5-4) couldn't compete with a team that reached the AFC title game last season and features two-time NFL MVP Lamar Jackson, who carved up a Broncos defense that was ranked among the league's best.

Denver Post Broncos writer Parker Gabriel posts his Broncos Mailbag weekly during the season and periodically during the offseason. Click here to submit a question. At the halfway point of the season,

Broncos wide receivers Lil’Jordan Humphrey and Courtland Sutton both lost fumbles in the win, and those two turnovers led to the Panthers’ only two scores of the game. In his post-game interview on KOA Radio, Payton said: “It just can’t be ‘My bad’ anymore, or else we’ll find some other receivers.”