News

Actions

Wolfe on Panthers' O-Line: 'They were targeting'

Broncos DE not happy with Trai Turner
Posted at 12:44 AM, Sep 09, 2016
and last updated 2016-09-09 09:29:04-04

DENVER -- Broncos defensive end Derek Wolfe prides himself on playing until the whistle. He prides himself on finishing plays. But what transpired Thursday was illegal, not fundamental football, he asserted.

Talking exclusively with Denver7, Wolfe accused the Panthers' offensive line of crossing the line. He singled out Panthers guard Trai Turner.

"He was absolutely targeting me. That's how he is," Wolfe said. "He should be fined. Write that."

Turner received a penalty for taunting on the Panthers' first touchdown. 

"He should have had three more. He should have been ejected," Wolfe said. 

Wolfe left the game with a sprained ankle and stiff neck. He was facemasked and hurt his leg when pushed into a pile, he said.

"I love good hard football. But hitting guys after the play, then if we respond the ref gets on me?" Wolfe said. "If the league cares about player safety, they need to look at the film and see what was going on. They were targeting."

In addition to Turner's taunting foul, Ryan Kalil received a facemask call on Wolfe in the third quarter, and Andrew Norwell was flagged for unnecessary roughness for a hit on Chris Harris after an interception.

Book'em Jano

Andy Janovich answers to multiple nicknames, including "Jano" and "Hammerhead." He likes to hit. Has since he was an 8th grader. The fullback came up huge in his NFL debut. He delivered a key block on a C.J. Anderson's 28-yard run then scored moments later on his own 28-yard gallop.

He's the first Broncos fullback to hit paydirt for the Broncos since Spencer Larsen caught a 3-yard pass from Tim Tebow on Nov. 14, 2010.

Footnotes

The Broncos allowed an 18-play scoring drive. They never allowed a drive that long last season. The problem? Carolina was 7-for-7 on third downs in the first half. They went 2-for-8 in the second half. The Broncos' pressure finally produced after halftime. Denver finished with three sacks after posting zero in the first 30 minutes. ... There was a lot of talk after the game about Carolina quarterback Cam Newton, specifically on why was he able to stay in the game after Darian Stewart's big hit in the fourth quarter. Newton, who completed 7 of 16 passes in the second half, was hit hard near his helmet at least twice during the game. The league has spotters to help identify players who were possibly concussed. But Newton never missed a play, which is likely to draw scrutiny over the next few days. Newton said he didn't believe the Broncos were targeting his head. ... Linebacker Brandon Marshall and receiver Jordan Norwood cleared the concussion protocol and returned to the game. Corey Nelson and Jordan Taylor played in their absence. ... Marshall took a knee during the national anthemin a show of solidarity with college teammate Colin Kaepernick. He said after the game he plans to continue kneeling. The team was unaware Marshall would not stand for the anthem. ... With 1.5 sacks on Thursday, DeMarcus Ware moved into ninth place all time. Ware did not play in the preseason, but exceeded the 30 plays scheduled for his debut. "I told them I could. We went over it. I feel great," Ware said. 

---------

Sign up for Denver7 email alerts to stay informed about breaking news and daily headlines.

Or, keep up-to-date by following Denver7 on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.