Manning was good and Denver’s defense played great in hitting Brady more than he had been in any game of his career.
Advertisement
(AP Photo/David J. Phillip, File).
Cam Newton has become of the NFL’s fastest-rising stars this football while also raising the profile of Carolina Panthers like they’ve not had in some time.
With more people gearing up to support this team, fans hope the Panthers can find a weak spot in the Denver defense and bring home the win. And at this point of his career, one of his most challenging seasons may only be a few minutes away from glory as he is only a win away from winning the Super Bowl. Fifty-three of ESPN’s staff of writers, editors, analysts, columnists and pundits predict the Panthers will win the big game with only 17 placing their money on the Broncos.
Carolina’s defense, which led the league in takeaways, quickly shifts from good to great when the offense gives them a lead. They were plus-20 in turnover ratio in the regular season, and plus-eight in their two playoff wins. Ginn is with his fourth team and in his second tour of duty with the Panthers, and of his 44 receptions during the regular season, 10 went for TDs. By getting Anderson the ball early and often the Denver Broncos can set the tone for how this game will play out. “So if we stop the run, we stop the beginning of what they do, that helps the rest of their offense”. It will allow this offense to open up this playbook a little bit more.
While the two quarterbacks won’t actually be going against each other like prizefighters in the ring, since they’re never on the field at the same time, the two QBs likely be the reason one team or the other ultimately prevails in Sunday’s game.
If big games are about maintaining tight custody of the football, consider that the Broncos were minus-4 this season. He had the ball ripped from his grasp by Miller at the 5-yard line in the first quarter, and Malik Jackson pounced on the ball for a touchdown and 10-0 lead. Osweiler completed 62 per cent of his passes, with nine touchdowns and five interceptions…
“He’s like a combination of two quarterbacks that were great quarterbacks in this league”, said Broncos defensive end Antonio Smith. Teams didn’t pass as much in Montana’s prime. I just see the Panthers as being too tough to handle when weighing in all the factors of this game.
Seven years ago Newton spent a year with Blinn College in Texas and his head coach Brad Franchione remembers a player whose attitude then lifted his team to a championship. “It’s a whole mindset that the mastery of the pocket, the mastery of the data”. For the first time, it’s a showdown between two quarterbacks drafted No. 1 overall. I can. I can run over you. And they did it despite blitzing on just 16 percent of the snaps.
The Panthers may be a small market team and unfamiliar to some, but make no doubt it – they’re no fluke.
This game will be won and lost at the line of scrimmage. Take the over on the points, with Denver edging Carolina by a final score in the 27-24 neighborhood.
Advertisement
Even rarer are the MVP odds with Newton as short as 13/8 on to be named as the best player. I think the Broncos secondary has what it takes to lock down this Panthers receiving core.
