I don’t want to be on the last flight out to the Super Bowl.
Advertisement
Rivera has guided Carolina to three straight NFC South crowns, and couldn’t be more popular with his players because “he gives us the freedom to be us, ” star tight end Greg Olsen says. I have a lot of respect for those guys on their team because they fly around and play football how it’s supposed to be played.
That means Newton will need some big plays out of his wide receivers, and Ted Ginn Jr. has had the hot hand.
The Broncos have an fantastic defense, but Carolina’s isn’t half-bad, either.
Manning was not the only Bronco who was questioned about the long-term effects of injuries during the lead-up to Super Bowl 50. But don’t forget about Carolina’s defense, either.
And then there’s everything else that comes with a Super Bowl: Coldplay runs the Super Bowl halftime show, with Beyonce and Bruno Mars showing up. Will he do “Lost+” with Coldplay? I can’t remember what doctor told me that. Newton will win his first championship and become Super Bowl MVP in a 31-20 Carolina win.
Now, to the picks! Enjoy the game, everyone!
I’ve been wrong before about such things.
The Panthers are still better than the Broncos, and they match up really well against the Broncos. But this game will be tight the whole game because both defenses are so good.
“Every time we turn on the TV, people are just talking about how we’re going to get dogged this game, we’re going to get blown out”, Harris said with a laugh. They’re unlikely to have the same success against the Panthers.
The spotlight will be trained on quarterbacks, Peyton Manning and Cam Newton – who find themselves at different ends of their careers. He has thrown for 71,940 yards and for a total of 539 touchdowns during his career in the NFL.
“Cam transitioned this year where he’s not going anywhere until he has to”, said Young. Newton is going to Disney World.
“Mike Tolbert and Stew (Jonathan Stewart) make their play-action game go”, said Broncos defensive back T.J. Ward. “I look forward to that day when I’m 52 and have a hip replacement, ‘” Manning said.
The Panthers may be a small market team and unfamiliar to some, but make no doubt it – they’re no fluke.
The Panthers are rolling. So their game plan will be centered around stopping them. Both teams have dominant defenses, with the Broncos stifling whoever they faced this year.
My prediction: The Panthers may be 5.5-point favorites, but Peyton Manning pulls out everything he can to win his final big game, right before he retires. Cam Newton is good enough, but the makeshift cast of characters around him are not. Teams appearing in the Super Bowl for the first time often get the first-quarter jitters, meaning the Panthers won’t jump out to the early lead they have been getting. “I knew him when he was young”. If you take out the meltdown against the Chiefs, Manning has been OK. He had 11 carries in their playoff-opening win against Seattle.
So the Broncos’ relentless pursuit of the quarterback may not be as fruitful as it was against New England’s Tom Brady in the AFC Championship game.
Newton is the maestro on offense for the Panthers but Greg Olsen is the catalyst. I think it’ll just continue to develop. What next? Previews of football games that exist only to sell ads?
Excuse me while I think about that Super Bowl again for a while.
Each team has an excellent defense. Did you see Von Miller against the Patriots?
If Manning represents the old guard, Newton – with his celebrations, dabbing and just plain coolness – is the future.
Advertisement
Eli Manning will also be on the field Sunday.
