Carolina Panthers vs Denver Broncos

Sun, Feb 7, 2016

After a weekend of AFC and NFC Championship football games, we all now know who the two combatants for the 50th Super Bowl is. The Carolina Panthers will play the Denver Broncos. A match-up that features an interesting QB battle and two pretty good defenses. Lets check a few things out…

Peyton Manning is the only five-time MVP in NFL history, one of the faces of the league and, at 39, the oldest starting quarterback to lead a team to the Super Bowl.

Cam Newton is at the opposite end of his career, just 26, making his debut in the big game. He also is expected to earn MVP honors for the first time, part of a new breed of dual-threat QBs as good at running as they are at throwing.

For the next two weeks, until Manning’s AFC champion Denver Broncos (14-4) play Newton’s NFC champion Carolina Panthers (17-1) for the Lombardi Trophy in Santa Clara, California, on Feb. 7, most of the focus will be on the two quarterbacks who were No. 1 overall draft picks 13 years apart.

Not only is the QB situation intriguing, the defenses are really two super forces for both teams to be concerned about. The Broncos led the NFL with 52 sacks and allowed a league-low 283.1 yards per game. No one forced more turnovers than the Panthers, and only five clubs gave up fewer points (the Broncos were one, naturally). Broncos linebacker Von Miller was terrific Sunday, getting 2 1/2 sacks and an interception in a 20-18 victory over Tom Brady and the New England Patriots in the AFC title game. “I wanted to do it for Peyton,” said Miller, who was injured and missed Denver’s loss to Seattle in the 2014 Super Bowl.

Sounds like this game has the makings of a great Super Bowl at least it should be interesting. The thing I fear the most about this game is the quick start habit the Panthers have shown and then the pressure, if that happens, will squarely be on Peyton’s shoulders. Peyton is still smart and reads the defenses like no one else, but physically lacks the ability’s he’s had in the past. That could become a problem if the broncos are forced to play catch-up football.

This article will be updated throughout the days leading up to Super Bowl 50, so stop back often.

Thanks.