Super Bowl 50 Predictions – The Breeze
By Jake Brod | The Breeze
The stage is set. The Carolina Panthers and Denver Broncos are gearing up to face off in Super Bowl 50 under the bright lights of Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California. Both teams were the top seeds in their respective conferences, which sets up a classic matchup of a high-powered offense versus a shut-down defense.
The Denver Broncos are coming off one of the most dominating defensive performances in recent memory, when they bruised Tom Brady and the Patriots en route to the AFC championship. The Broncos’ pass rush got to Brady early and often, tagging him 20 times over the course of the ballgame. The men in orange have wreaked havoc on opposing quarterbacks all year and led in nearly every defensive category. Denver’s defense has won it numerous games over the course of the season and there’s no reason to believe that it can’t do it again on Sunday.
On top of having the best defense in the league, Denver’s offense isn’t too bad itself. Peyton Manning will put on the pads, possibly for the last time, looking to add to his illustrious career when he takes the field this weekend.
Manning and the Broncos have been good, but not great on offense this year. The 39-year-old has endured a year full of mediocre performances along with some health issues. If the Broncos stand any chance of winning on Sunday, they’ll need to get Manning and his stud receivers, Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders, going early to establish an offensive presence. The emergence of a two-headed monster at the running back position between C.J. Anderson and Ronnie Hillman has added an extra spark to this offense. Will the Denver offense show up on the big stage and piggyback off of the team’s strong defensive play?
Standing in its way is Cam Newton and the Carolina Panthers. I must admit, I have been a “hater” of the Carolina Panthers this postseason. I picked the Seattle Seahawks to upset them in the divisional round, which was clearly a misread. It seemed as if I hadn’t learned my lesson, because I also picked the Arizona Cardinals to beat them in the NFC championship game. I know I’m not alone, because a lot of “experts” have also picked against Carolina this postseason. I’m starting to believe that this Panthers team might be the most disrespected 15-1 team of all time. The Panthers have proved me wrong all season and, with one week left, I’m officially jumping on the bandwagon.
Newton, a dual-threat quarterback, has turned heads with his rifle-like arm and quick legs all season, carving up every defense he’s faced. I think the most impressive thing is that Newton really only has one go-to guy in tight end Greg Olsen. Despite the lack of star power at the wide receiver position, Newton has orchestrated an MVP season and will now face his biggest task yet. Although it’s a tall task, Newton is 4-0 this season when facing top-5 defenses. He and the Panthers certainly don’t lack confidence, which I think will go a long way in a big game like this.
The Panthers have a perfect combination of solid defense and lethal offense. I think Newton and the Panthers cap off a historic season with a show-stopping performance on the biggest stage of them all. I just hope the most exciting part of the big game isn’t the commercials.
My prediction: Panthers 34, Broncos 17
Contact Jake Brod at [email protected].
By Matt Weyrich | The Breeze
What happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object? Scientists have pondered the answer to this question for centuries, but the upcoming Super Bowl matchup could provide us with a clue. On Sunday, the Carolina Panthers (15-1) will take on the Denver Broncos (12-4) at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California, in Super Bowl 50.
The Panthers sport the highest-scoring offense in the league, led by soon-to-be-named MVP Cam Newton. The 2010 Heisman-winning quarterback finished the regular season with 3,837 yards and 35 touchdowns through the air while adding an additional 636 yards and 10 scores on the ground.
Not to be forgotten are the contributions of other Pro Bowlers in tight end Greg Olsen (1,104 receiving yards) and running back Jonathan Stewart (989 rushing yards), who helped Newton transform Carolina’s offense into the class of the league.
On the defensive side of the ball, the Panthers’ unit is headlined by superstars in linebacker Luke Kuechly (118 tackles), cornerback Josh Norman (seven forced turnovers) and defensive tackle Kawann Short (11 sacks). The Panthers ranked sixth in total defense and they led the league in turnover margin at +20.
While the Panthers were on their way to their third straight NFC South title, the Denver Broncos put together an exciting season: one that included 11 victories by seven points or less. Carolina’s offense was its claim to fame, but the Broncos’ defense was the best in the NFL.
Denver held opponents to a stifling 283.1 yards per game in the regular season, ranking first in pass defense and third in stopping the run. Four of the Broncos’ defensive starters were named to the Pro Bowl, including outside linebackers DeMarcus Ware and Von Miller (18.5 combined sacks) and cornerbacks Aqib Talib and Chris Harris Jr. (five combined interceptions).
The Broncos’ offense has been less than spectacular, but will have five-time MVP Peyton Manning at the reins in what has been rumored to be the final game of his career. Manning only made nine starts in the regular season after he suffered a torn plantar fascia in Week 10. He was replaced by the surprisingly effective Brock Osweiler and wasn’t expected to return to the field again until Osweiler was benched in Week 17.
In addition to Manning, Denver will boast the talents of wide receiver Demaryius Thomas (1,304 receiving yards) and running backs Ronnie Hillman and C.J. Anderson (1,583 combined rushing yards). Its offense has the tools to keep the score close at the end of games, but it’s their defense that can push the Broncos to greatness.
What happens when the highest-scoring offense in the NFL meets the league’s toughest total defense? As the saying goes, defense wins championships. The country’s biggest stage will feature two of the very best teams America has to offer, but only one will be hoisting the Lombardi Trophy during the postgame ceremony.
My prediction: Broncos 27, Panthers 20
Contact Matt Weyrich at [email protected].
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