Super Bowl 50: Five keys for the Denver Broncos
By Dani Bostick
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Generate turnovers and defensive points.
Even if Peyton Manning has a bad game, it is possible for the Denver Broncos defense to win the game. On more than one occasion this season, the Denver Broncos defense helped snatch victory from the jaws of defeat, generating momentum– and more importantly, turnovers and points.
The Carolina Panthers have an unbelievable, is-that-a-typo +20 turnover differential. The Broncos had a -4 turnover differential. If Manning is error prone, the Broncos defense will need to mitigate offensive turnovers by ball-hawking the Panthers offense to shreds.
During the course of the season, the Broncos had four defensive touchdowns, two by Aqib Talib and one each by Chris Harris and Danny Trevathian. The unit had nine separate players register at least one interception during the regular season and boasted an average of 22.9 yards per interception.
The Broncos face an uphill battle against the Carolina Panthers, but if they can contain Cam Newton and generate turnovers and defensive points, they could come away with a Super Bowl victory.
Seeing a Super Bowl won on the merits of a defense and ground game would be extremely satisfying in the age of flashy, pass-heavy offenses. Both the Broncos and the Panthers are capable of providing this kind of victory. The Broncos, however, will need to rely even more on those two factors since they have a less mobile, accurate quarterback at the helm.