Super Bowl 50: 5 keys for the Carolina Panthers

2. Keep Cam upright

Cam Newton is a special player. At 6’5 and 245 lbs, the superstar quarterback is indeed built a bit like Superman. There’s really never been a QB like Newton before: he’s got a cannon of an arm, he’s fast and elusive on his feet, and most importantly he’s big and strong enough to shrug off the kind of hits that are probably still giving RG3 nightmares.

But even Superman is vulnerable to Kryptonite, and for Cam that Achilles’ heel could be the Denver pass rush. As mentioned earlier, Tom Brady is one of the best quarterbacks in the world, but he looked downright Clark Kent-ish against DeMarcus Ware, Von Miller, Malik Jackson and the rest of that relentless Denver D. The Broncos led the league in sacks this year, and anyone who watched the AFC Championship Game can see why.

Newton is a virtual lock to win the MVP award in a week, but he has historically been prone to making stupid decisions with the football from time to time. He had his best season as a pro in 2015, but he still posted a double-digit interception total for the fifth time in his five years as an NFL quarterback. If the Panthers’ offensive line can’t buy him enough time to make his reads properly, the Denver rush could rattle him into making costly mistakes.

Next: 1. Force turnovers on defense