The Denver Broncos and Peyton Manning are heading back to the Super Bowl. Here are 5 reasons why they can win it.
The Denver Broncos can beat the Carolina Panthers in Super Bowl 50. After Peyton Manning and company dismissed Tom Brady and the New England Patriots, and Cam Newton helped the Panthers take out the Arizona Cardinals, Super Bowl 50 awaits both quarterbacks. Experience and history will factor in and help the Broncos beat the odds, though. Underdog status doesn’t hurt either.
When you think of this game, you think of two quarterbacks and two head coaches. Manning, the aging yet high speed, computer-sharpened mind going for that much-needed second ring. Then there’s Newton, the freight train sensation who refers to himself as a superhero on and off the field, gunning for elite status and his first ring.
The head coaches have their own unique stories as well. Gary Kubiak and Ron Rivera played in the Super Bowl, went there as assistant coaches and now lead two teams of their own into the promised land.
Does Kubiak’s offensive strategy combined with Wade Phillips’ defense overcome Rivera’s defensive-schemed mind? Does Manning’s experience give him an edge over the young Newton?
These are the questions that are being asked by a lot of people in the lead up to Super Bowl 50.
Right now, few maybe expect the Broncos to pull off the win over the Panthers, who were virtually unstoppable throughout the entire season. But, Manning and the Broncos shouldn’t be laid to rest that quickly, and here’s why.
Next: 5. Experience factor at Quarterback
5. The Peyton experience factor
For the veteran quarterback who has dominated the regular season yet found a mixed bag in the playoffs in his long illustrious career, the Super Bowl is no stranger to Manning. He has been there before against a variety of opponents and an elite set of quarterbacks on the other side — well, set aside for Rex Grossman.
For all the talk that Manning isn’t a great playoff quarterback, his play in the Super Bowl isn’t as bad as some would assume. He has never truly had a terrible performance in the big game. Against the Bears in 2006, he threw for 247 yards with a touchdown and an interception. Against the New Orleans Saints, Manning threw for over 300 yards and mixed in another touchdown with one pick, which was not the best of his career. He had a rough game against the Seattle Seahawks, but that was a total meltdown by the Broncos’ offense as a whole and the game for them evaporated quickly. In that one, Manning threw for 280 yards with a touchdown and two interceptions. His passer rating was only 73 but he completed 69 percent of his passes.
As he nears 40 years of age, Manning isn’t a gunslinger these days. He learned his lesson early on in the 2015 season in understanding that the running game powered mostly by C.J. Anderson is going to run a lot of drives and he has to avoid turnovers by being smart with the football. Being smart helped Manning against the Patriots in the AFC Championship Game and it will help him in the Super Bowl. He knows how to manage a game, has been there before and understands the big stage he’ll be on. This is one last ride for Manning, chasing that second ring as his career comes to a close. The veteran factor comes into play here at quarterback as he takes on a tough Panthers defense.
Carolina ranked 11th in pass yards allowed but just 4th in points per game. They will look to squeeze Manning and shut down the short passing game to make him go deep. As he seems to be able to do, Manning will find a way when it counts to counter this and the experience factor will be a big player here.
Next: 4. Deadly Denver pass rush
4. The Denver pass rush
There was one way to beat Tom Brady and his mighty offensive machine, and that was exploiting the A gap and covering the corners on the pass rush. While Newton was only sacked 33 times in 2015, he didn’t face a fierce pass rush like the Broncos have. It’s not just the well-known names like Von Miller and DeMarcus Ware, but the underrated skill set rushers like Derek Wolfe and Malik Jackson. This assorted mix of rushers will cut off some off the space Newton has to run with.
Defensive coordinator Wade Phillips likes to mix and match his blitz packages and throw different shades at the opposing offensive line and quarterback. Can Newton and company handle this type of pressure? Will they collapse? They overran the Seattle Seahawks and Arizona Cardinals early, but may run into trouble with a defensive line and front seven that really limits the running room of Newton and running back Jonathan Stewart.
Denver’s biggest strength is their pass rush and not just sacks. It’s the overall ability to create pressure, force bad throws and cause erosion in another team’s game plan.
Next: 3. Secondary is fierce
3. The Denver turnover machine
Tom Brady doesn’t throw two interceptions in a game that often. He doesn’t make those kind of errors in judgement like the ones fans saw him commit in the AFC Championship.
When a team sports a secondary that includes Aqib Talib, Chris Harris Jr., T.J. Ward and Darian Stewart, bad things can happen for opposing quarterbacks — even one with a laser arm like Newton. Anything can happen when a pass rush like Denver’s forces a player to make mistakes like fans saw in the playoff wins over the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Patriots.
The Denver secondary led the NFL in interceptions in 2015 with 23. It’s a lethal tool to have in the playoffs, the chance to intercept a pass and change the course of the game. Newton only threw 10 interceptions in the regular season, but he likes to take his chances going downfield. With Talib and Stewart sitting back there, problems could arise for the charismatic quarterback.
Next: 2. Defense across the board is strong
2. Kubiak-Phillips are the perfect team
Let’s forget the hyperbole and just present some facts here: Wade Phillips has built a near perfect defense; the Broncos ranked 4th in the NFL this past with only 18.5 points allowed per game. They ranked first in total yards allowed with 283 yards per game, first in pass yards with 199 and third in rushing yards allowed at 83. Overall, the Broncos defense is just better than the Carolina Panthers’ defense when put against each other.
Kubiak’s offensive game plan has finally started to take shape as the playoffs have commenced. Manning’s game management mixed with an efficient running game that eats up the clock and allows players like tight end Owen Daniels to create big plays. This perfect combo may be the team that stops the Panthers on the biggest stage. A fierce defense combined with a clock-eating, smart offense that knows its identity. Each coach has a chip on their shoulder as they enter Super Bowl 50 and that could play a huge role here.
Kubiak’s abilities as a head coach have never been in question. It’s the idea of what he would do with a playoff team that reached the Super Bowl. But equipped with a stout defense built by Phillips, he may be the Panthers’ worst nightmare on the biggest stage.
Next: 1. Experience and revenge are important chips
1. The Broncos have experience and redemption on their minds
Everybody remembers the Super Bowl matchup with Seattle where things went bad from the start for Manning and the Broncos. They went up against one of the best defenses in the past 30 years and got trampled. That sits in Manning’s mind as this game awaits to unfold, that sits in a player like Von Miller’s mind as the first snap awaits — every player that was on the field for Denver that night is waiting for this.
Manning’s experience has to give him an extra kick as Super Bowl 50 arrives. He has so much at stake in this game that he is going to play his best game. He got a dose of humanity in playing terribly for the first part of the season, getting knocked out, seeing his backup thrive and having to wait his turn in returning to action. He has run the gauntlet in a season few thought he would finish. His experience has to be a driving factor for these Broncos.
The entire team will want to play this game for Manning and help him get that second ring. No NFL team outside of the Panthers are playing better football and those players don’t know these kind of stakes. Newton hasn’t been there, but Manning has. Newton hasn’t faced this kind of defense, but Manning has faced every kind of defense throughout his illustrious career.
Redemption is waiting, and on February 7, I feel the Broncos have an edge due to their need for that redemption given what happened during their last trip to the Super Bowl.