So around the Beyoncé concert, there just so happened to be a very big football game going on. That’s right! The NFL kicked off Super Bowl 50 in Santa Clara, California featuring the Carolina Panthers and the Denver Broncos.
It was the tale of two quarterbacks of different generations with different styles of play: the young and flashy Cam Newton and the old school, laid back veteran Peyton Manning. Newton, coming off an amazing season (15-1) and winning the MVP trophy, was prepared to lead his Dab-tastic Panther squad in a face-off with 5-time MVP Manning and his Defensively-dynamic Broncos. Obviously these two quarterbacks were the talk of the show being that one was coming off an amazing season and the other…well…holding on to his legacy for dear life after battling injuries and having the worst season (Individual performance-wise) ever. But the real stars today came from the defensive side of the ball.
Both defenses were top 5 in the NFL this year and professional sports analyst and true football fans knew this game would come down to who could force the most turnovers. In the end, the Denver Broncos won that match up. The Broncos defense, led by Super Bowl MVP Von Miller and veteran defensive end DeMarcus Ware, kept the heat on Mr. Dab Daddy Newton the whole game, making it hard for Cam to get comfortable in the pocket. Newton was sacked six-times. Denver forced 4 turnovers in the game including a strip fumble in the 1st quarter that resulted in a defensive touchdown. Newton wasn’t solely the blame though. Sloppy ball-handling, horrific blocking, and dropped balls are what cost the Panthers the game.
As for the offensive side of the ball, neither star QBs showed too much flash. Manning went 13 for 23 with 141 yards and an INT while Cam finished with 18 for 41, 265 yards, an INT, and two-fumbles. The real star was Miller who ended his season in style with 6 tackles, 2 1/2 sacks, and two forced fumbles which earned him Super Bowl MVP honors.
As for Peyton, he didn’t confirm or deny whether or not this was his last season when asked. “I’ll take some time to reflect,” Manning said. “I got a couple priorities first. I’m going to kiss my wife and kids….I’m going to drink a lot of Budweiser tonight.” But being that he broke newly honored Hall of Famer Brett Farve’s record for most wins with his 200th in this Super Bowl and another championship ring on his finger to match his younger brother’s total, it would be a story box ending for “The Sheriff”.
