The Denver Broncos and Carolina Panthers are ready to face off for Super Bowl 50 in San
Francisco.
After 18 years in the NFL, number 18 could finally hang them up after an incredible career. Peyton Manning was able to manage his way past Tom Brady and the Patriots, narrowly outplaying his counterpart while limiting his mistakes against a tough defence. Less than two months shy of 40-years-old, Manning will become the oldest quarterback to pivot the Super Bowl while trying to become the first to win the big game with two different teams. His season has not been what we’ve been used to from Peyton. He was sidelined six weeks with a series of injuries, relegated to the backup role for the first time in his career and has been linked to a rumour of him taking HGH. His production were career lows, while his 17 interceptions were the most in his Broncos tenure.
On the other end, Cam Newton has run over everyone during the 2015-16 season, including the Seattle Seahawks, and, most recently, the Arizona Cardinals. Newton’s dual tendencies were on full display during the conference championships, throwing for 335 yards and two touchdowns, while rushing for 47 and two scores. The dual threat quarterbacks are on the rise and as Manning is leaving the game, Newton may be the one to carry the torch for the future of the position. A 15-1 record, a 49-15 drubbing of the Cardinals was all done without his number one weapon in Kelvin Benjamin.
Playing “The Sheriff,” as many players call Manning, is a story for the record books. Drafted number one overall 13 years apart, both quarterbacks will hold significant value while playing against two of the top-ranked defenses in the league.
Denver’s defence led the NFL in average yards allowed with just 283.2 per game. They led the league in sacks with 52, while only allowing 34 points and 568 total yards in the playoffs. The stingy defence also hit Tom Brady a whopping 23 times during the conference title game. Von Miller and DeMarcus Ware were a big part of their success this year. Miller had 2.5 sacks and an interception in the conference championship.
Carolina is also sporting a strong defensive side of the ball coming into the Super Bowl. Luke Kuechly led the Panthers with 118 tackles and fellow Pro Bowl linebacker Thomas Davis, who had 105 tackles, is now expected to play despite undergoing surgery on a broken forearm. Davis is renown for coming back from injuries, tearing his ACL multiple times. The Panthers defence also has one of the best cornerbacks in the game on their side in Josh Norman.
The Broncos will have to do better in their running game if they want to be successful against a stout run defence, one that is anchored by a possible MVP candidate in Kuechly. I think Newton and his offence are a more favourable matchup against Manning who will have to do more than just manage the game on Sunday.
PICK: Carolina -6.5
