Super Bowl 50: Storylines
By Jack Crosby
Are the Panthers one of the greatest teams of all-time?
Now this is the one where we’re really treading on some thin ice, but the reality of the situation is that this is an inquiry that does carry some weight heading into Super Bowl 50 on Sunday.
For a good majority of the season the Panthers flirted with perfection. It seemed for a while as if this team would be entering the playoffs with an undefeated regular season record, making them the first team to accomplish this feat since the 2007 New England Patriots. However, a Week 16, 20-13 loss to the Atlanta Falcons would obliterate those dreams and end the run at perfection.
Still, the fact of the matter is that Cam Newton and his squad finished 15-1 in the regular season and head into the Super Bowl showdown against the Broncos at 17-1. So, when you do the real simple math, should they beat Denver in Levi’s Stadium on Sunday, they will finish 18-1 on the year, which it doesn’t take Einstein to figure out that this is one of the greatest accomplishments you can acquire in the NFL.
But, when it boils down to it, people will point out that this team maybe should not be considered among the greatest of all-time for one reason or another. Some point to the fact that they play in the NFC South, which isn’t the greatest of the divisions out there. And others, as crazy as it may be, refuse to call this team one of the best to ever step onto the field because Cam simply makes them feel as if they’ve just seen an R-rated zombie movie after buying a ticket to a Disney Pixar film.
What will it take for everyone to, for the most part, collectively recognize this team that could be 18-1 on Sunday night as one of the greats? Do they have to blow out the Broncos in the fashion they did the Arizona Cardinals in the NFC Championship Game? If they only win via last-second field goal, are they immediately out of the discussion?
It probably shouldn’t be this complex, but sadly, it is and it’s been one of the biggest talking points leading up to the game.
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