Super Bowl 2016 Date, Location, Kickoff Time, Odds, Logo, Halftime Show News

Scriptwriters everywhere take notice. For everything the NFL has done wrong during the past couple of years, they somehow managed to set up one of the most compelling Super Bowl matchups in history without having to lift a finger.

While the story of Tom Brady winning a title in the wake of Deflategate could have given it a run for its money, the battle between rising superstar Cam Newton and one of the greatest quarterbacks ever in Peyton Manning possibly making his last run is perfect from the league’s perspective.

After the Denver Broncos beat the New England Patriots in a defensive battle that was vastly different from the Brady-Manning battles of the past, the Carolina Panthers absolutely obliterated the Arizona Cardinals, forcing Arizona quarterback Carson Palmer to turn the ball over six times while putting together one of the more complete performances of their whole season.

The NFL's official Twitter account didn't take long before hyping up what could be an incredible matchup:

There might be two weeks to go before the Super Bowl is set to kick off, but the matchup has been set and now the hype can only grow for one of the best matchups in recent memory. Both teams are the No. 1 seed in their respective conference, and both are led by quarterbacks who went No. 1 overall in their respective drafts, setting up a battle for the ages.

The halftime show is also set, with Coldplay and Beyonce set to take the stage in between football. All that is left is to wait and prepare for the biggest game of the season.

Time	Date	Location	TV	Matchup	Odds
6:30 p.m. ET	Feb 7	Santa Clara	CBS	Carolina vs. Denver	CAR -4

Here's a look at the logo of Super Bowl 50, per the game's official Twitter account:

Joe Mahoney/Associated Press

For so many years, any team that had Peyton Manning at the helm was defined by the all-time great quarterback. From the earliest years in Indianapolis to his late-career switch to Denver, Manning has been the most important aspect of his squad each and every time—until the 2015 season that is.

While Manning has been going through a late-career drop-off—which is expected, but still tough to watch when considering how well he had played until this season—the Broncos defense has turned into one of the best units in the history of the league.

David Zalubowski/Associated Press

They're not quite at the level of teams like the 1985 Chicago Bears or 2001 Baltimore Ravens, but the Broncos are still in the upper echelon of all-time units—just ask Brady and the Patriots. Against another first-ballot Hall of Famer, the defense stood tall, holding New England in check until a pair of late drives with the game on the line.

Although the run game never quite got going—just like in the past few games—the Broncos were still able to do enough on offense thanks to a strong early showing from Manning and tight end Owen Daniels.

If Denver can find a way to get past the Panthers defense, that might be enough to send Manning riding off into the sunset based on how good things have been on the other side of the ball. The saying is "defense wins championships," and the Broncos have one of the best.

But for everything the Broncos can do well defensively, for every Hollywood scriptwriter that is praying for a win by Denver and Manning, there is one simple difference between the two teams that will decide the Super Bowl, and he wears No. 1.

David J. Phillip/Associated Press

When he was drafted out of Auburn in 2011, great things were expected out of Newton—much like Manning so many years before—and, while he delivered to an extent, it wasn’t until this year that his full potential was reached.

Newton was an unstoppable force all season long, finishing the regular season with 45 total touchdowns, and he only improved his play against two of the best defenses in the league in Seattle and Arizona over the past two weeks.

Against Arizona in particular, he was the closest to Superman he's looked since his college days at Auburn, and he seemed destined to claim the Super Bowl in a couple of weeks.

It is unfair to boil the Panthers down to just one player though—Jonathan Stewart has been a star this year, the receiving corps has stepped up its game and the defense is on the short list for best in the league as well—but Newton is the face of the franchise and has played up to that title this year.

Denver’s defense provides the biggest test Newton has faced this year, but his performance against Seattle in the divisional round was a sign of things to come. The likely MVP claims the title for Carolina and possibly sends Manning into retirement disappointed.