NFL fans have been waiting for this moment for 151 days. From kickoff on September 10th, 2015, between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the New England Patriots, to the final second of the NFC Conference Final between the Arizona Cardinals and the Carolina Panthers. The 2016 Super Bowl is this Sunday.
The 2015-2016 NFL season was a great year for so many athletes. Let’s take a moment to congratulate the players who led the league for the intricate parts of the game:
Most Passing Yards:
Drew Brees, New Orleans Saints
4,870 yards
Most Rushing Yards:
Adrian Peterson, Minnesota Vikings
1,485 yards
Most Receiving Yards:
Julio Jones, Atlanta Falcons
1,871 yards
Most Defensive Tackles:
NaVorro Bowman, San Francisco 49ers
154 tackles
Most Sacks:
J.J. Watt, Houston Texans
17.5 sacks
Most Interceptions:
Marcus Peters, Kansas City Chiefs
8 interceptions
The 2015 had its moments of jaw dropping awe…
The season did come with its upsets though…
Well, it’s here at last. The Super Bowl is this Sunday at 6:30pm in the one-year-old Levi Stadium. The estimated $2 billion stadium can hold a terrifying 75,000 people. But that’s nothing compared to the 114.4 million people who watched Super Bowl XLIX (49) on television. This year is expected to break the record of viewership as well as commercial pricing. In the past, the average 30-second commercial during the Super Bowl cost roughly $4 million, which is $133,333 per second. For Super Bowl 50 it is expected to jump to between $5 and $6 million this year. However, I’m sure the commercials won’t disappoint and expect a Super Bowl commercial highlights article from me the week after the game.
The National Football League started with thirty-two prospective teams in September and we have come to the final two this Sunday. It has been a hard fought season for the AFC Champion Denver Broncos, going 12-4 on the season and beating the Pittsburgh Steelers 23-16 and the New England Patriots 20-18 to get to the 50th Super Bowl. The Carolina Panthers had their challenges as well recording their only loss on the season against the Atlanta Falcons (13-20) in Week 16.
Here are my reasons why each team has a chance at the Championship Title.
This why the Denver Broncos will win Super Bowl 50:
The Broncos have Peyton Manning. I could stop there, but the Broncos are not a one man show. Manning is a fan favorite and it seems that he may very well retire after this game. Back in the pre-season they went 3-1 losing to the Arizona Cardinals by only two points. The Broncos lost just four games all season to the Colts (27-24), the Chiefs (29-13), the Raiders (15-12) and the Steelers (34-27). However, Peyton Manning only played against the Colts, whereas backup Quarterback Brock Osweiler took charge in the three games that were unsuccessful in getting a win. However, I do stick to my earlier comment: Manning is not a one man show.
Manning threw 2,249 yards on the season to Demaryius Thomas (12.4 yds/rec), Emmanuel Sanders (14.9 yds/rec), Owen Daniels (11.2 yds/rec), Jordan Norwood (9.4 yds/rec) and many others. Manning has teammates with excellent hands on the field to get him a touchdown on every drive, but that’s not always going to work, especially when his completion rate is 59.8%. The rushing game needs to be as close to perfect as possible during this Super Bowl.
When playing the ground game, if the Broncos want to win, DO NOT let Manning run. He achieved -6 yards on the season and only 10 yards in the two postseason games he played. 39-year-old QB Peyton Manning is going up against 26 year-old QB Cam Newton who runs with more speed and agility. Manning needs to hand it off to 24-year-old RB C.J. Anderson who has managed 863 yards rushing on the season. It’s not as impressive as Carolina’s rushing statistics, but the only way to beat the Panthers is to play the passing game first and stick to the ground as a last resort.
Or the more likely…
This why the Carolina Panthers will win Super Bowl 50:
They have never won it before!
You know the old saying, "There's a first for everything?" Well, that would include a ring for Cam Newton. The number one pick in the 2011 draft is going to the Super Bowl for the first time in his life. However, the Carolina Panthers have been here before–unsuccessfully. In 2003, after going 11-5 in the season, beating the Cowboys, Rams and Eagles to get to the Super Bowl XXXVIII (38), the Panthers lost to the New England Patriots 29-32. While that wasn't the 2015 Panthers nor Cam Newton, the franchise has never won anything more than a Conference Championship (2003 and 2015).
There is some hope though. Look at what happened the last time Peyton Manning stepped up to the Super Bowl wearing his Broncos jersey two years ago...
Surprisingly, the Seahawks won the coin toss and elected to kick. Should Manning be afraid of this again? While poor communication led to a safety, the Panthers cannot count on this to happen again. So they turn to the stellar offense and defense that they have had all year.
For the 2015 season, the Carolina Panthers reached a franchise record of 15-1, since their formation in 1995. Having been dead last in their division five years ago, the Panthers have successfully made the playoffs the past three years and finished first in their division every year. The 2015 Panthers set another franchise record by having 10 Pro-Bowlers, something that has not been done in any of its past 20 years.
So do they have what it takes to win it all?
On the defensive side, MLB #59 Luke Kuechly recorded 118 tackles (solo and assisted), one sack, two forced fumbles and four interceptions with one leading to a 32-yard touchdown (thanks to pass from Tony Romo of the Dallas Cowboys in November; see video below) this season.
That game really highlighted Carolina’s defense as Kuechly had two interceptions on the day as well as an interception for Safety Kurt Coleman. As if that wasn’t enough, 6’1”, 235lbs beast Thomas Davis came charging at Tony Romo in the final seconds of the 3rd quarter to sack him and take him out of the game. The Outside Linebacker recorded 5.5 sacks, 4 interceptions and 4 forced fumbles on the 2015 season.
