Super Bowl 50 Preview

Ian Bivona, Sports Editor

February 7, 2016

As the NFL season comes to a close, the 17-1 Carolina Panthers will face the 16-4 Denver Broncos in the Super Bowl on Feb. 7th, in Santa Clara, California.

After defeating the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship game, the Broncos are headed to their second Super Bowl in three years, with their last being a game where the Seattle Seahawks dismantled them and won 43-8. Two years later, the Broncos are a completely different team. In 2013, Denver heavily relied on Peyton Manning and the offense to put up points, in a season where they set multiple offensive records. This season, the Broncos have drifted away from offensive dominance, in favor of shutdown defense. Their defense has given up a mere 18.5 points per game, ranking fourth in the NFL, while also sacking the quarterback 52 times and forcing 27 total turnovers throughout the season.

Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning smiles as he leaves the field following Denver's 23-16 win over Pittsburgh on Sunday, Jan. 17, 2016, at Sports Authority Field at Mile High in Denver. (Christian Murdock/Colorado Springs Gazette/TNS) — Broncos quarterback Peyton Manning smiles as he leaves the field following Denver’s 23-16 win over Pittsburgh on Sunday, Jan. 17, 2016, at Sports Authority Field at Mile High in Denver. (Christian Murdock/Colorado Springs Gazette/TNS)

On the other hand, the Panthers have both a dominant offense and defense. On offense, the team ranks first in points scored per game and second in rush yards per game. The team has blown out several of their opponents, including a 49-15 win over the Arizona Cardinals, where Cam Newton scored four total touchdowns and Luke Kuechly recorded his third pick six of the year. The Panthers are back in the Super Bowl for the first time since 2003, where they lost to the New England Patriots by a last second field goal kick by Adam Vinatieri.

Carolina Panthers' Luke Kuechly (59) celebrates as he returns an interception for a touchdown during the first quarter on Sunday, Jan. 17, 2016, at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C. (David T. Foster III/Charlotte Observer/TNS) — Carolina Panthers’ Luke Kuechly (59) celebrates as he returns an interception for a touchdown during the first quarter on Sunday, Jan. 17, 2016, at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C. (David T. Foster III/Charlotte Observer/TNS)

The game will come down to if the Denver defense can stop the Carolina offense. The Panthers average 142.6 rushing yards per game, while the Broncos only give up 83.6 yards per game. Carolina heavily relies on their rushing offense to set up pass game and open lanes for receivers to run and catch passes. Without strong runs, the Panthers offense is weak and stoppable.

The two teams have not played each other since the 2012 NFL season, where the Broncos won 36-14. However, there are many of the same players still on the teams, such as Cam Newton, Greg Olsen, and Mike Tolbert for the Panthers, and Peyton Manning, Demaryius Thomas, and Ronnie Hillman for the Broncos.
Kickoff for Super Bowl 50 is set for 6:30 on Sunday, February 7th, with the game being shown on CBS.