The Broncos are back home.

And as October comes to a close, the Broncos are in the thick of the AFC race.

The Broncos are nearing the halfway point of the season with four wins in their last five games and can improve to 5-3 with a win over the Panthers.

A win over Carolina (1-6) would move Denver to two games above .500 for the first time since the start of the 2021 season and give the Broncos their best eight-game record since 2016.

“We have to fire,” cornerback Pat Surtain II said Friday. “No matter who the opponent is, for us it is a faceless opponent. We just have to come out and play our style of football. This means that we are the most physical team at every moment. We have to stick with that.” I’m pretty confident that we prepared properly this week.

Denver can also tie its home record at 2-2, which was a focus heading into Sunday’s game against the Panthers.

“You have to be able to win at home,” wide receiver Courtland Sutton said Wednesday. “…This is one of those things that should be like a pillar.”

However, as Denver approaches this week’s game, it is clear that the team is not happy with its situation – and the Broncos know there is still a lot of work ahead of them.

“The work is ongoing,” Sutton said. “We still have a lot of opportunities ahead of us. We have a big game against Carolina this weekend. We can’t overlook what’s right in front of us.”

… It’s nice to be where we are, but it’s not where we want to be.”

So here are the questions that will determine whether Denver can maintain the momentum and improve to 3-0 against NFC South teams this season:

Can Denver pressure Bryce Young?

After Andy Dalton suffered a thumb injury in a car accident earlier this week, former first-over pick Bryce Young returns to the starting XI.

“He has good vision and can release quickly,” head coach Sean Payton said Wednesday. “He shows accuracy (and) poise. He played in big moments. In other words, I remember how he came out (of the draft). He played in really big moments. I think when you have a change, you flip the focus from one quarterback to another, and you study it as best you can.

Young started the first two games of the year for Carolina, but was replaced by Dalton after throwing three interceptions and no touchdowns in his first two starts of the year.

In his short career, Young is 0-9 away from home while completing 53 percent of his passes for 175.2 yards per game and a passer rating of 61.8. Young has thrown four interceptions and no touchdowns in his last six road starts, and the Broncos certainly don’t want Young to reverse his fortunes.

The Broncos rank third in the league in total defense and point defense and are also second in sacks. Against Young, the Broncos want to continue their success against opposing quarterbacks and prevent Young from finding a rhythm. In Week 7, the Broncos sacked Spencer Rattler six times and recorded two strip sacks.

If Denver can find similar success against Young and make him uncomfortable, the Broncos should be ready to pull out a win.