5 things Peyton Manning must do to win Super Bowl 50
By John Buhler
5. Carefully Attack Carolina Between the Hash Marks
While the Carolina Panthers’ defense is at its weakest in the secondary, it won’t be wise for Denver Broncos starting quarterback Peyton Manning to try to beat the Panthers by attacking the Carolina defense on the outside with his wide receivers.
Manning doesn’t have the arm strength to stretch the field in any capacity and Panthers Pro Bowl cornerback Josh Norman would love to add an interception of Manning in the Super Bowl to this year’s resume in what has been a breakout season for the Carolina corner.
The only times Manning should look to throw outside of the hash marks is in quick out routes to his wide receivers, pushing the ball down the field at most five yards. What Manning should do when attacking the Panthers defense aerially is to use the screen game and short curl routes to best exploit Carolina between the hash marks.
Expect the Broncos to run more than pass in head coach Gary Kubiak’s ultra-conservative game plan. It does make more sense to limit the Panthers opportunities to force turnovers on the lackluster Broncos offense this way.
A careful, methodical approach in moving the chains against Carolina is the best offensive game plan for the Broncos. The shorter, high-percentage passes will stand as Manning’s bread and butter in this Super Bowl, especially if Kubiak allows Manning to go no-huddle to pick up the pace if the game’s sluggish tempo isn’t helping Denver move the football against Carolina.
Next: 4. Don't Force Anything on Broken Plays