On Feb. 7 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, the NFC champion Carolina Panthers and the AFC champion Denver Broncos will square off in the 50th annual Super Bowl.
How they got here: Carolina Panthers
Starting off the regular season with 14 straight victories, the Panthers solidified themselves as a power in the NFC with their top-tier defense headlined by linebacker Luke Kuechly and lockdown cornerback Josh Norman.
On the offensive side of the ball, fifth-year quarterback Cam Newton is a frontrunner for the league’s Most Valuable Player award. That award will come out the day before the Super Bowl. Newton leads the league in total touchdowns with 45 (35 passing and 10 rushing).
In the postseason, the Panthers had a bye week before playing the defending NFC champion Seattle Seahawks. In the first half, the Panthers were dominant at Bank of America Stadium in front of their home crowd. Sporting a 31-0 halftime lead, the Panthers were running their offense to near perfection and stifling Russell Wilson and the Seahawks.
The second half was a different story, however, as the Seahawks came out looking like a completely new team. The Seattle offense was able to mount a substantial comeback, scoring 24 straight points. However, the early turnovers forced by the Carolina defense and the early scoring onslaught proved to be too much for the visiting Seahawks.
In the NFC Championship, the Panthers took care of business against a very talented Arizona Cardinals team. Scoring early and often, Cam Newton and Carolina waltzed into Super Bowl 50 with a convincing 49-15 victory. Carolina will play in their second Super Bowl in franchise history.
How they got here: Denver Broncos
Similar to the Panthers, the Broncos also started off the season on a win streak. However, the way the Broncos got their wins was much less academic than the Panthers. Offensively, veteran quarterback Peyton Manning struggled with turnovers as well as staying healthy.
Manning only managed to throw nine touchdowns during the regular season and tossed 17 interceptions in only 10 games. It was evident that Manning wasn’t even close to being 100% healthy.
During a Week 9 blowout loss to the Chiefs, Manning had arguably the worst game of his career; the 18-year veteran threw five interceptions. Late in the third quarter of that game, Manning was benched for backup quarterback Brock Osweiler. Head coach Gary Kubiak stated that he benched Manning for his own safety. Manning would miss roughly seven games after being taken out against the Chiefs.
The Broncos lockdown defense was able to right the ship while Manning was out, going 5-2 during his absence. Key defensive players include standout linebacker Von Miller, as well as cornerback Aqib Talib.
In the regular season finale against the Chargers, Manning replaced the then-starter Osweiler in the third quarter of the contest. Manning did enough to lead his team to a victory and secure the AFC West title.
In the playoffs, the Broncos had a first-round bye on account of being the number-one seed in the AFC. After defeating the Pittsburgh Steelers in the divisional round, the Broncos were set with a matchup against Tom Brady and the defending Super Bowl champion New England Patriots.
The story of the AFC championship was how well the Denver defense played, who made things difficult for the veteran Brady. After defensive back Bradley Roby picked off Tom Brady’s potential game-tying attempt on the last play of the game, Denver’s ticket was punched to Santa Clara.
Game Preview:
In this year’s Super Bowl, there is no shortage of intriguing storylines. Some of those include this possibly being Peyton Manning’s very last game.
Newton is looking to be the only quarterback to win a junior college championship (Blinn College in 2009), an NCAA championship (Auburn in 2011) and a Super Bowl championship.
Newton also captured the Heisman trophy award at Auburn in 2011. Newton is also looking to be the second quarterback in history to win the Heisman trophy, national title, MVP, and Super Bowl.
Outside of the media headlines, the keys to the game will be if Newton can handle the NFL’s top defense and stay in positive situations. Many defenses have struggled to contain the 6’6”, 248-pound beast that is Cam Newton scrambling out of the pocket. On the flip side, the 39-year-old Manning is slated to be the oldest quarterback to start a Super Bowl.
The experience edge goes to the Broncos, but will that be enough to topple the Panthers? It will be very interesting to see what level of play Peyton Manning will be at on Super Bowl Sunday and how the Denver defense tries to contain Newton and Carolina.
In the end, I see Manning trying to do too much and forcing a few crucial turnovers to the league-leading defense in interceptions. I see this game being close due to a great defensive battle; however, Cam Newton will make some crazy plays to lead the Panthers to victory.
Score Prediction: Carolina 20, Denver 17
