Broncos DE Derek Wolfe says officials let Panthers O-line 'get away with murder'
The Denver Broncos picked up right where they left off on Thursday night, beating the Carolina Panthers 21-20 on the back of their defense. It was one of the most physical games in recent memory with Panthers quarterback Cam Newton taking shot after shot to the head, seemingly suffering a concussion with each hit.
Some called out the Broncos for targeting Newton throughout the game as there were several plays where defenders launched at the reigning MVP’s helmet. Denver defensive end Derek Wolfe doesn’t see it that way, and instead he believes the Panthers were the dirty ones.
The Panthers would likely respond to Wolfe’s allegations by saying the Broncos had it out for Newton – not the other way around. Sure, there were missed holding calls like this one pointed out by Von Miller, but that happens in every game. There’s simply a difference between blown penalties and dirty hits on the quarterback, which the Broncos were tiptoeing the line of.
Wolfe hits the nail on the head regarding one subject, though: player safety. There probably wasn’t a player out there that would say players were protected during that game.
Wolfe said he was hit in the eyes “at least five or six times” on Thursday night, but he doesn’t necessarily blame the Panthers because they were getting away with it. Still, he believes the game was far too physical and wasn’t properly officiated by the referees.
