Super Bowl 50: Keys to Victory for Each Team
Super Bowl 50 between the Carolina Panthers and the Denver Broncos is set to kick off at 6:30 p.m. ET on Sunday at Levi's Stadium. It's the Panthers' game to lose. Just ask all the experts, including EA Sports' Madden NFL 16 simulation.
The Panthers might ultimately win, but the Super Bowl scoffs at sure things. Just ask the 2007 New England Patriots.
There are many paths to victory, for both teams. And yes, the Broncos have a good chance, despite what the overwhelming majority tells you.
Let's look at some overarching reasons why each team will win Super Bowl 50.
Why the Broncos Will Win: Vintage Peyton Manning
1 of 6
It's going to be a balmy 70 degrees Fahrenheit in Santa Clara, California, on Super Bowl Sunday—not a snowflake or icy breath in sight, per CBSSports.com. Peyton Manning is as healthy as he has been in a year, and he has had two weeks to rest and prepare.
Broncos wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders knows Manning is fully capable at this point, per ESPN's Jeff Legwold:
"I think we do a good job, we’re at our best, when we can do everything we have in our playbook. When we go in the shotgun, when we go under center -- Peyton’s foot is healthy so we can do under center, do anything we need to do.
"
That's excellent news for Broncos fans. He had better be in peak physical form—at least for a 39-year-old with fused vertebrae in his neck—to beat Carolina.
Many think Super Bowl 50 will be Manning's last hurrah. So, what better way to go out than on top?
Of course, the Panthers will need to oblige, but they may not be able to put up a fight if Peyton Manning of yesteryear shows up.
This would be the elder Manning who threw for 55 touchdowns just a scant two years ago. The one who not only set up his receivers to be open downfield—like they were many times against the Patriots a couple of weeks ago—but hit them for soul-crushing touchdowns.
Manning just needs to pull one last vintage performance out of a hat.
Why the Panthers Will Win: Vintage Peyton Manning
2 of 6
There is another version of Peyton Manning out there—the one we have seen in many playoff defeats.
That includes an atrocious performance against the Seattle Seahawks two years ago in Super Bowl 48, which started with a bad snap for a safety and went downhill from there.
Manning has a reputation for postseason flameouts. He has averaged 260 yards with a touchdown and an interception in his 13 playoff losses, the anti-clutch line. And those came when he was in his prime or close to it.
This year, Manning proved a bit overripe.
Father Time finally caught up with the future Hall of Famer, and injuries made things worse as Manning threw just nine touchdowns to 17 interceptions this season. He has been a bit better since his return from a torn plantar fascia, but a multitude of misses have betrayed his ability at this stage.
Another forgettable performance is going to doom the Broncos, no matter how well that defense plays. Worse is the fact the Panthers have a pretty good defense too.
Remember when Carson Palmer still commanded MVP arguments? Carolina's defense made quick work of that notion, though the votes had already been cast.
Why the Broncos Will Win: The Stage Is Too Big
3 of 6
It has been a magical season for the Carolina Panthers. Nearly undefeated, quarterback Cam Newton's MVP campaign led his team to new heights.
Is the rarefied air going to be too thin?
True, the game isn't being played at Mile High Stadium. But this will be the first Super Bowl for the majority of the Panthers, most notably Newton. Peyton Manning and many of his teammates have been through the two-week gauntlet of media insanity before.
Maybe that won't be a real factor for Carolina players, but what about the game itself? Playing for all the marbles in front of hundreds of millions of viewers might prove to be too big a psychological hurdle for some.
If Newton buckles under the pressure—even if it's short-lived—the Broncos will pounce.
Newton has played in a couple of championship games in the past, but nothing compares to the Super Bowl. As good as he and his team have been, the stage could swallow them this time around.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
Why the Panthers Will Win: Cam Newton
4 of 6
He's the biggest, baddest quarterback in the NFL, and there is no stopping him.
Cam Newton will win the Super Bowl because, well, he is the best quarterback in the game right now.
Spare me any indignities about celebrations and underwhelming passing statistics—what he does, nobody else can do.
Don't believe me? How about when Denver defensive coordinator Wade Phillips said it unprompted, according to Rick Bonnell of the Charlotte Observer:
"They asked me if I had seen a quarterback like (the Carolina Panthers’) Cam Newton. There isn’t one like him.
I haven’t seen one like him. None of us have. He’s a tremendous talent. He’s put it all together. I’m sure he’s going to be MVP of the league this year. It’s another big challenge for us.
You go from (Pittsburgh quarterback Ben) Roethlisberger to (New England quarterback) Tom Brady, think it won’t get any tougher and now you’re going against Cam Newton. … He is a top-notch drop-back quarterback, but he can run with it better than the rest of them.
"
The Broncos won't be able to do to Newton what they did to Tom Brady, because the former is so dangerous in all facets of the game. Denver didn't need to worry about Brady's legs like they will with Newton, who is playing in a better offense to boot—pun intended.
Why the Broncos Will Win: A Suffocating Defense
5 of 6
Defense wins championships, right?
The cliche aphorism might not be true in some cases, but it certainly tends to bear out. If Denver is going to win the Super Bowl, it'll have a fantastic defense to thank.
The Broncos are storming into Super Bowl weekend after a magnificent defensive performance.
In the AFC Championship Game on Jan. 24, they suffocated the Patriots offense on the wings of their pass rush. Spearheaded by outside linebacker Von Miller, Denver harassed Tom Brady into oblivion. Denver's strong back line did an excellent job, blanketing Brady's pass-catchers when the pass rush didn't get home.
More of that is in store for Cam Newton and the Panthers on Super Bowl Sunday. How will Carolina's offense react when Denver's defense punches it in the mouth? As great as he is, Newton will be hard-pressed to make big plays if he's running for his life half the game.
Denver boasts the No. 1 defense in the NFL, and it will be the biggest reason for a Broncos championship victory. If only Peyton Manning had this unit a few years ago.
Why the Panthers Will Win: They Are Who We Thought They Were
6 of 6
We could dance around the facts and forget what we saw this season, but would we be overthinking things?
After all, it hasn't been that long since Carolina throttled a good Seattle team and destroyed a great Arizona Cardinals squad in the playoffs. The Panthers were nearly undefeated this season—though playing in the weak NFC South helped—and they have been even better in the playoffs.
Cam Newton is hailed as the league MVP by many, as is head coach Ron Rivera for Coach of the Year and general manager David Gettleman for Executive of the Year. While those things might seem to cancel each other out, the truth is Carolina is a great team led by a fantastic coach and an amazing quarterback.
No wonder the Panthers are so heavily favored.
Peyton Manning could be on fire. The Broncos defense could be all over Cam Newton. The Panthers could come out flat, squashed by the magnitude of the game.
And it wouldn't matter.
Sometimes Occam's razor rules. The Panthers are the best team in the league, and that's why they're going to win Super Bowl 50.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
.png?w=480)
