Burning Questions for Super Bowl 50

With a little over a week to go before Super Bowl 50—and plenty of players passing over the Pro Bowl—the attention has slowly but surely turned toward the showdown between this season's highest-scoring team and the league's top-ranked defense.

So what’s on most people’s minds when it comes to this clash between the Carolina Panthers and Denver Broncos? We came up with a modest list of seven questions that could be key topics of discussion over the next eight days.

Come Monday's Super Bowl media day, there will be plenty of inquiring minds on nearly every subject possible. Hence, this is our attempt to be the voice of reason a little early.

And while we certainly love what we do, we can guarantee there will be no marriage proposal discussed here.

How Effective Will Panthers OLB Thomas Davis Be in the Super Bowl?

Jason Getz-USA TODAY Sports

Is there any doubt Carolina Panthers linebacker Thomas Davis will be playing on Super Sunday?

The veteran defender broke his right arm in the first half of the team’s 49-15 win over the Arizona Cardinals in the NFC Championship Game. He vows to be ready for the Super Bowl 50 showdown with the Denver Broncos.

“I’m gaining my strength back in my hand and my arm and fully expect to be playing next Sunday,” Davis told Karen Garloch of the Charlotte Observer on Thursday.

“If I had concerns about hitting somebody or getting hit, I wouldn’t even take the field,” added Davis. “It’s not even going to be something I think about one bit. I’m going to go out there and play the game like I’ve always played it: fast, hard and aggressive.”

The numbers for the Pro Bowl defender this season are pretty impressive. Davis finished second on the team with 105 tackles, but he also added 5.5 sacks, seven passes defensed, four interceptions, four forced fumbles and one fumble recovery.

Before going down with the injury, Thomas totaled 11 tackles in six combined quarters of play against the Seattle Seahawks and Arizona Cardinals in the playoffs. He also grabbed an onside kick attempt by the Seahawks to seal the win in that divisional-round game.

Still, Davis and Co. will be going up against a Denver attack that has not piled up a lot of points this season but has been persistent in terms of running the football, especially as of late.

Next week, Davis figures to do his best impression of Hall of Fame Rams defensive end Jack Youngblood, who played with a broken leg in the 1979 playoffs and Super Bowl XIV. Davis will certainly make his presence felt one way or another—and most likely in a positive manner.

Can the Broncos Mount a Running Game?

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Will the Denver Broncos run the football against the Carolina Panthers on Super Sunday?

There’s no doubt in our minds. Now, depending on the degree of success and the score of the game, that game plan could change.

But don’t count on it.

In the playoff sweep of the Pittsburgh Steelers and New England Patriots, Gary Kubiak’s team gained a modest combined total of 208 yards on the ground, running for 109 yards against the Steelers and 99 versus the Patriots.

But a closer look shows the Broncos totaled 33 and 30 carries, respectively, in those victories. Combine a stellar defense with a balanced attack, and your team could go home with a Lombardi Trophy.

In their eventual wins over the Seattle Seahawks (31-0 at half) and Arizona Cardinals (24-7 after two quarters), the Panthers owned a combined 55-7 lead at halftime. Hence it was no surprise Seattle finished the day with 12 rushing attempts for 78 yards and the Cards with 16 carries, good for 60 yards. That’s a combined 28 running plays in two games—less than the Broncos managed offensively in each of their postseason wins.

Can the Broncos’ ground attack have success against the Carolina defense? We shall see. But will the Broncos run the football against the Panthers? There’s no doubt in our minds—for what that is worth.

Will Wade Phillips Put a Spy on Cam Newton?

Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports

How about Bond…James Bond?

Perhaps the only person capable of slowing down No. 1 these days is indeed 007.

It has been quite the season for a player many believe will be named the league’s MVP next Saturday. Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton blossomed as the season wore on and has been playing exceptional football for more than a few weeks.

Talk about a learning curve. In his last 12 games, including the playoff sweep of the Seahawks and Panthers, Newton has thrown 29 touchdown passes and only four interceptions. During the team’s 6-0 start, the fifth-year pro threw for nine scores compared to seven interceptions.

Of course, let’s not forget the fact that in 18 games this season—including playoffs—Newton has rushed for 686 yards and a dozen touchdowns.

What’s a defensive coordinator to do? Will Denver defensive coordinator Wade Phillips employ someone like inside linebacker Danny Trevathan or safety T.J. Ward to try to keep Newton under wraps? Or is it just a matter of the Broncos’ pass rush being able to contain the red-hot signal-caller?

If Phillips’ game plan against the New England Patriots is any indication, the defensive coach will have his share of curveballs for a player who has been hitting home runs all season.

Which Team Has the Best Linebacking Corps?

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Admittedly, we went down this path earlier in the week, and to be honest, coming up with a concrete answer won’t be easy.

The Carolina Panthers’ starting trio of middle linebacker Luke Kuechly and outside linebackers Thomas Davis and Shaq Thompson, a rookie, has been extremely productive. The aforementioned veteran duo finished Nos. 1 and 2 on the team, respectively, in tackles, and that was with Kuechly missing three games during the regular season. The perennial Pro Bowler has enjoyed a tremendous postseason, returning interceptions for touchdowns in each game at the expense of Seattle quarterback Russell Wilson and Arizona quarterback Carson Palmer.

Davis has been this unit’s playmaker, ranking second on the club with 105 stops while totaling 5.5 sacks, seven passes defensed, five takeaways (four interceptions) and four forced fumbles. Still, per Pro Football Focus, his play against the run has been erratic at best this season and bears watching in this matchup. Thompson started 10 games and totaled 48 tackles in his debut campaign.

As for the Denver Broncos’ quartet, the inside combination of Danny Trevathan and Brandon Marshall and the complementary outside duo of DeMarcus Ware and Von Miller have enjoyed quite a year, even with Ware missing some time.

The inside tandem each totaled 100-plus tackles, with Trevathan adding six passes defensed and a pair of interceptions and Marshall chipping in with 1.5 sacks, four passes defensed, two forced fumbles and an interception of his own.

Denver led the NFL with 52 sacks during the regular season, 18.5 of those by Miller (11) and Ware (7.5). Miller also comes off a game against the Patriots in which he totaled five tackles, 2.5 sacks, one pass defensed and an interception of Tom Brady.

This is one topic that is going to be a fun debate throughout Super Bowl week.

Will Panthers WR Ted Ginn Jr. Exploit the Broncos Secondary?

John David Mercer-USA TODAY Sports

The Denver Broncos gave up the fewest total yards and fewest passing yards in the league this season. And we all saw what Wade Phillips’ imposing unit did to Patriots quarterback Tom Brady in the AFC Championship Game last Sunday.

But here’s a little food for thought when discussing what Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers passing attack could do against a defense that has allowed only 20 touchdown passes in 18 games—including playoffs—this season.

Wideout Ted Ginn Jr., along with teammate Corey Brown, could have the right stuff when it comes to challenging the likes of cornerbacks Aqib Talib, Chris Harris and Bradley Roby. These Panthers have the kind of speed that is tough for an opponent to deal with, especially when the quarterback can throw deep and very accurately.

It sounds like we just described Pittsburgh’s Ben Roethlisberger, who had success against this Broncos defense thanks to his experience, arm, touch and receiving corps. In his two encounters with Denver this season—including the AFC divisional round—he threw for 380 and 339 yards, respectively—the second game minus All-Pro wide receiver Antonio Brown.

The Panthers’ passing attack is far different from that of the New England Patriots, and it presents Phillips and Co. with different challenges. And Ginn in particular could give the Denver secondary a lot to think about on Super Sunday.

Will a Tight End Finally Be Named Super Bowl MVP?

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Yes, we could take the easy way out and suggest that either Carolina’s Cam Newton or Denver’s Peyton Manning will be named Super Bowl MVP. After all, in 27 of the previous 49 Super Bowls, a quarterback has walked away with the prize.

But in this storied championship series, though six wide receivers have been named the Super Bowl’s Most Valuable Player, we have never seen a tight end take home this game’s biggest individual honor.

With all due respect to Denver’s Owen Daniels, who has enjoyed a solid 10-year career with three different teams, it is Carolina’s Greg Olsen who warrants serious attention here. He remains the favorite target of Newton, snaring 77 passes for 1,104 yards and seven touchdowns during the regular season, and he has averaged an impressive 15.8 yards per reception (12 catches for 190 yards and one touchdown) in the playoffs.

Of course, New England’s Rob Gronkowski caught six passes for 68 yards and a touchdown a year ago in Super Bowl XLIX but, rightfully so, lost out to Tom Brady for MVP honors—while other Patriots had better games as well.

But one of these days…

What Is Peyton Manning’s Legacy: Win or Lose?

Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

It’s something that has become big for a lot of sports fans and media members in recent years.

A player’s legacy.

When we see how this year has unfolded for Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning, it’s hardly surprising that his postgame whisper to New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick following the AFC Championship Game caused a bit of a stir.

Of course, the talk that this may be Manning’s final season started long before last Sunday. And when the veteran signal-caller sat down after a nine-game start in which he threw only nine touchdown passes and 17 interceptions, there were some who questioned whether we would see the NFL’s all-time leader in passing yards (71,940) and touchdown passes (539) on the field again.

But it was Peyton to the rescue in Week 17 with his team trailing the San Diego Chargers, thanks mainly to five turnovers. Manning came in and gave the club a boost. Since his return that Sunday, the Broncos have committed only one turnover in two games—that being Manning’s pass behind the line of scrimmage last Sunday against the Patriots.

Some will point to Manning’s mediocre record in the playoffs (13-13) and the Super Bowl (1-2) and forget what he actually did to put his team in the playoffs in the first place. Of course, an upset victory over the Panthers would put Manning’s postseason win-loss record above .500, and he would become the first starting quarterback in history to lead two different franchises to Super Bowl victories.

No matter how he plays in the Super Bowl, win or lose, Manning has made his mark in NFL annals. No one can dispute that.

Unless otherwise noted, all player and team statistics come via Pro-Football-Reference and ESPN.com. All player ratings courtesy of Pro Football Focus.