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The Carolina Panthers, owners of the NFL‘s best record, led by a young, boisterous, dual-threat quarterback looking to entrench himself as a full-fledged superstar. The Denver Broncos, owners of the AFC’s best record, led by a veteran, pocket-passing quarterback looking to add one final achievement to his resume.
So, who’ve ya got in Super Bowl 50?
Carolina’s path to Santa Clara has been surprisingly transcendent. Ron Rivera’s team entered the season as 60-1 longshots to win the Super Bowl, proceeded to win 17 of 18 games and now are strong favorites in the season’s final game.
Cam Newton is the league’s MVP and clear focal point of the game, but the Panthers’ defense, which features All-Pro talent at all three levels, has been integral to the team’s success.
Denver, by contrast, has had its bumps along the way. Manning was an inconsistent turnover machine early in the year, then Brock Osweiler took over for a stretch, and finally Manning was put back into action just in time for one could be the last Super Bowl run of his career.
Like the Panthers, the Broncos feature a strong defense. Von Miller and DeMarcus Ware are capable of causing havoc on the edge, while the trio of Aqib Talib, Chris Harris and Bradley Roby make up the best cornerback group in the NFL.
It’s a fascinating Super Bowl matchup with storylines abound. Whoever wins, it figures to be an entertaining battle.
