5 things Peyton Manning must do to win Super Bowl 50
By John Buhler
3. Be Mindful of Luke Kuechly at Middle Linebacker
While Peyton Manning will want to attack the Carolina Panthers’ defense between the hash marks in Super Bowl 50, he needs to proceed with the utmost caution when targeting the linebacker corps of the Panthers.
Panthers All-Pro middle linebacker Luke Kuechly is not only a tackling force in the Carolina front seven, but he is arguably the best pass coverage linebacker the NFL has seen in decades. Quarterbacks will typically exploit defenses in the passing game with either the tight end or slot receiver, as most linebackers are better equipped to stuff the run than to disrupt the pass.
Kuechly routinely gets to balls in pass coverage that frankly some of the league’s best safeties aren’t even able to. He had an interception return for a touchdown on Carson Palmer of the Arizona Cardinals in the NFC Championship in Charlotte. Kuechly also made a play on a Russell Wilson pass in the Divisional Round game against the Seattle Seahawks that only he could make at middle linebacker.
With Manning’s sub-par arm strength in 2015, he will need to know where Kuechly is in pass coverage every single time he drops back to pass. Kuechly is savvy enough of a defender to bait opposing quarterbacks into making what look like open throws to tight ends and slot receivers only to embarrass the passer with a head-shaking interception.
Manning may want to use fellow Carolina middle linebacker Thomas Davis’ broken arm to his advantage. Davis earned his first Pro Bowl nod in 2015 and will play through anything (three ACL tears to the same knee) as the league’s toughest football player. He’ll try his best to make a play on a Manning pass, but two hands are better than one.
Again, Manning’s cerebral nature can and will have to play to his advantage in the way he and head coach Gary Kubiak chose to attack the Panthers between the hash marks through the passing game.
Next: 2. Use the Run to get in Field Goal Range