Prior to tonight, Trevor Siemian’s only play was a kneel down to end a game.
But the Broncos quarterback moved his team a bit, before a turnover ruined any early momentum they had built.
Rookie Devontae Booker’s first NFL carry was fumbled, forced and recovered by Panthers defensive end Charles Johnson.
Siemian had moved them 46 yards in eight plays, completing 3-of-5 passes for 28 yards. They weren’t going to take many chances with him early on against the Panthers defense, but he threw on the first five snaps, indicating some measure of trust.
The Panthers went the other way the first time out, running on their first three snaps. They also spread it around to their big people, including a third-down conversion to receiver Kelvin Benjamin, who missed last year with a torn ACL.
Later in the drive, Benjamin was welcomed back fully by catching a touchdown pass, giving the Panthers a 7-0 lead.