When the Broncos defeated the New England Patriots to reach the Super Bowl, NFL Films picked up audio of Manning telling Patriots head coach Bill Belichick at midfield, “This might be my last rodeo”.
Advertisement
Panthers. They’ve been the dominant team all year long.
This is what it was like once, a thousand years ago in the second half of one of the most famous Super Bowls ever played, Joe Namath against the Colts, when it was Namath going against old John Unitas when Unitas was the one throwing footballs that dipped and floated around the Orange Bowl like Frisbees. Manning has elite wideouts in Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders, who each went over 1,000 yards this season, but both of his scoring passes in the postseason were to tight end Owen Daniels.
“I’m trying… not to get too far ahead”, he said the other day, even knowing his very best days are behind him.
So what do you think happened?
With his time-tested bond with Manning and program ties to Thompson and Anunike, there’s no doubt who Cutcliffe will be pulling for come Sunday evening-a choice that might be unpopular in the Tar Heel State.
(Chris Valva/ KSAN Production): “Since I can’t say Americas team, the Dallas Cowboys, I would have to honestly say, Carolina Panthers”. They can’t stop the dab.
With all the talk about Cam Newton and Peyton Manning this week, there’s been a tendency to overlook the Broncos defense. The defense plays extremely fast and it’s hard to account for a running quarterback. Kenny Anunike-who spent six years in Durham after undergoing multiple knee operations-was part of Denver’s pass rush in the Broncos’ first 10 games before another injury forced the Galena, Ohio, native onto injured reserve in late November.
“I was on a 1-15 team, and two years later, we were one field goal away from winning the Super Bowl”. On the plus side, I did pick the Steelers to beat the Cardinals, 27-24, which was nearly hysterically accurate. One quarterback will struggle to generate offense against an under-the-radar defense. Meanwhile, the Carolina defense is no slouch of a unit. But the Panthers seem to be a team of destiny this season.
Carolina won’t go down as easily.
As a running back for Denver Broncos teams that featured a Hall of Fame-bound quarterback, Terrell Davis adopted a specific attitude for Super Bowls.
Denver Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning will be 40 next month, well past the playing age of most National Football League quarterbacks.
But they’ll square off with a tenacious Broncos defense that ranked first in yards allowed and fourth in points against, and the Broncos have a pair of players with nasty reputations in safety T.J. Ward and linebacker Von Miller. Cam Newton is going to be a problem, and the Panther run game is tough.
One thing that you can count on through all these insane prop bets, is counting on 570 News to have the Super Bowl pre-game show, which starts at 5:00 PM with kick-off set at 6:30.
TODAY THINGS couldn’t be more super for Pueblo’s Broncos fans. The Panthers weren’t even favored by three at home in the divisional round, as many thought the Seahawks would win. Newton wants to hit the big play, be it with his arm or on foot. He’s more valuable to the team as a mentor to the younger players. “But I just think, for me, the perception of how good he’s been at playoff time has changed a little bit over the past few weeks”.
The Broncos and Panthers have only played each other four times in their history, and only once with their current quarterbacks at the helm.
Quarterbacks Peyton Manning of Denver and Cam Newton of Carolina, who will face off in Super Bowl 50 Sunday at Levi’s Stadium and may be the keys to each team’s success, are a study in contrasts.
Two great defences will take the field at Santa Clara, but, for all of Peyton Manning’s past heroics, one great offence stands alone. He’s won one of them.
Advertisement
Keep that streak alive against Carolina and the Broncos could send Manning out a victor.
