Panthers 10, Broncos 24
The Denver Broncos are waking up on Monday morning the winners of Super Bowl 50, world champions for the third time in franchise history, thanks to a dominating performance by what is now in the running for the title of “Greatest Defense of All-Time.”
Denver walked away with a 24-10 victory on the shoulders of Von Miller‘s 2.5 sack, two forced fumbles performance that netted him the game’s MVP and what will surely be one of (if not the) largest contracts in NFL history this offseason. Peyton Manning now has the opportunity to ride off into the proverbial sunset just like his boss, John Elway, as a Super Bowl champion and finally with a winning record in the playoffs.
There were 51 other winners on Sunday, not to mention the practice squad and injured reserve players and the countless staffers inside the Broncos organization – from the ticket checkers in the 500 level all the way up to Mr. Bowlen himself – who can call themselves champions as well.
But for every batch of winners, there’s a group that will wear the mantle that’s all too familiar for Broncos fans, Super Bowl losers.
Here’s a look at the no-brainer studs, the under-the-radar studs and the duds from Denver’s Super Bowl 50 victory.
No-Brainer Stud No. 1 – Von Miller & The Defense
Von Miller’s stat line speaks for itself: 6 tackles, 2.5 sacks and two forced fumbles, both of which led to Denver touchdowns (one of the defensive variety). The no-doubt Super Bowl 50 MVP saved his two best performances of his career for the two games his team needed most, the AFC Championship and the Super Bowl.
Miller led a defense that sacked Cam Newton seven times and forced the league MVP into his worst performance of the year. Newton didn’t account for a single touchdown, throwing or rushing, for the first time all season and Miller made his biggest plays when Newton was backed against his own goal line.
Adding to Miller’s outstanding performance on the field was his classy postgame MVP acceptance speech, in which he gushed about his teammates, his defensive coordinator, his mentor DeMarcus Ware and gave thanks to God. Miller has matured exponentially from the player who was down to his last strike in the league’s substance policy just a few seasons ago. He’s deserving of every bit of praise coming his way after that performance.
Under-the-Radar Stud No. 1 – Britton Colquitt & The Special Teams Unit
Britton Colquitt seemed to disappear at times during the 2015 season, but he found his form at the perfect time, delivering clutch performances against both the Patriots and Panthers.
Denver lost its gunner, one of the league’s best in David Bruton in Week 15, and the league’s top punt returner (average yards per return) in Omar Bolden off and on through the second half of the season and then for good in the playoffs. Kayvon Webster picked up right where Bruton left off and Jordan Norwood broke a Super Bowl record with his 61-yard return on Sunday. Unlikely heroes, no doubt.
Brandon McManus missed kick attempts in five consecutive games in the late-middle part of the schedule, but he was perfect a perfect 10-for-10 on field goals and three-for-three on PATs in the playoffs. His consistency was punctuated by Graham Gano‘s missed kick on the opening drive of the second half.
Without these under-the-radar studs, Denver isn’t a world champion on Monday.
Dud No. 1 – Demaryius Thomas & The Offense (Mostly)
Don’t snap to judgment, just yet. There were several players who were great on offense. C.J. Anderson and Emmanuel Sanders were both instrumental in Denver’s win. Demaryius Thomas, despite having only one measly catch on the day, drew a critical holding penalty to led to a touchdown instead of a field goal.
But as has been their habit all year, the offense couldn’t muster first downs when they needed them. In fact, Denver set a new Super Bowl record (breaking their own sad record) of 12 consecutive failed third-down conversions. Denver converted just one of 14 on the day; it came on their opening drive.
That wasn’t the only record they set; they also had the fewest yards of total offense (194) by a winning team in the Super Bowl. Anderson, who scored Denver’s one offensive touchdown, accounted for 90 of those on the ground and 10 on catches.
The one thing the Denver offense did do, it converted most opportunities into points. Jordan Norwood’s 61-yard punt return became a field goal. Graham Gano’s missed field goal became one for Denver. And Von Miller’s second strip sack was the game-sealing touchdown and two-point conversion.
It wasn’t pretty, but it worked.
No-Brainer Stud No. 2 – Wade Phillips
It took him nearly 40 years in the NFL, but Wade Phillips finally has his ring. The longtime defensive coordinator and head coach was out of football last year and brought in as Gary Kubiak‘s second (or third, or fourth?) choice as defensive coordinator this offseason. The importance that his game plans had in deconstructing two of the league’s best offenses, New England and Carolina, can’t be understated.
Phillips, who was named assistant coach of the year on Saturday night at the NFL Honors (and probably would have won coach of the year if the league allowed it), is rightfully getting mounds of praise for cooking up a recipe that punished the NFL MVP, Cam Newton.
What might go somewhat overlooked about Phillips, though, is what he didn’t do against Carolina. He didn’t blitz the extremely mobile Newton all that often, as he did Brady. He let his one-on-one matchups win their battles. He let his big-time players make big-time plays.
Phillips enjoyed every moment of this Super Bowl week, but he still had his unit ready to put on the performance of the year; boy did they rise to the occasion.
Under-the-Radar Stud No. 2 – Gary Kubiak
One of the predominant storylines playing out on social media as the middling Broncos offense saw drive after drive after drive fail to convert on third down was Gary Kubiak’s uninspired and overly conservative play calling. “How many second down runs are we going to have?” one person asked me. “It’s too predictable.”
That line of thinking doesn’t give Kubiak enough credit, though. Yes, the plan late in the game became “Give it to C.J. Anderson and hope like hell he hangs on to it,” but Kubiak really didn’t go so run heavy until Peyton Manning had committed his second turnover of the game – a fumble that occurred when trying to pass on a third down. That score brought Carolina within six points of Denver at the time.
Credit Kubiak for knowing that his offense was more of a liability than an ally and for not putting Manning in the position to turn the ball over again. Plus, his play call on third and goal that targeted Demaryius Thomas and drew a holding call led to the eventual nail-in-the-coffin touchdown.
Kubiak’s offense hasn’t been as advertised, but the man himself was smart enough to know when to simply trust his defense.
Dud No. 2 – Ron Rivera
Ron Rivera earned his “Riverboat” nickname for his gutsy play calling and fast and loose defensive schemes. But the way the Panthers looked Sunday, you’d have thought John Fox was coaching Carolina all over again.
All week long, Rivera’s team was acting cocky and entitled, seemingly annoyed they even had to play the game. They were as unfocused (albeit in a different manner) as Denver was under Fox in Super Bowl XLVIII.
Come game time, the Panthers were wound tighter than a fiddle string and it showed. Rivera had to burn both of his challenges in the first half (only one was successful), and he never really let his athletic quarterback try and take over the game with his legs as he’s been prone to do.
Denver was shutting down Jonathan Stewart and Mike Tolbert and Cam Newton was too amped to hit is receivers in stride or at pace. With a chance to take a fourth-quarter lead, Rivera needed to let Newton do his best Vince Young 2006 Rose Bowl impersonation and win the game himself. Instead, he let his talented (but emotionally immature) quarterback get battered and flustered.
No-Brainer Stud No. 3 – Lady Gaga
Admittedly, I know very little about Lady Gaga. The No. 1 song in her repertoire that I’m familiar with is the Star Spangled Banner. Thankfully, that was the song she was asked to sing at Sunday’s Super Bowl 50.
While no one will every top Whitney Houston’s rendition from 1991, gobs of internet denizens were saying Gaga’s was the best since that time. Fitting that they would come on the “Silver” and “Gold” anniversary games. Still, Houston is the gold standard.
Usually the National Anthem is a “stand, hand over heart, sit, listen, listen, listen, okay get back to writing” affair for me during game coverage, but Gaga had me taking pause and really relishing the anthem.
Who cares if it was pre-recorded? It was soulful, touching, and most importantly, not overly self-indulgent. From what I’ve heard, it was a little unlike the Lady herself.
Under-the-Radar Stud No. 3 – Bruno Mars & Beyoncé
I couldn’t have been the only one who got a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach when it was announced that Bruno Mars was going to be a special guest during the Super Bowl 50 halftime show. It was Mars, after all, who headlined the event two years ago in a disastrous performance for the Broncos in New York.
Credit to Mars (and Beyoncé), though; they single handedly brought this year’s show back to life after Coldplay left the 114-plus million fans watching feeling like they were holding a cold fish. They were to the Super Bowl 50 halftime show what Kony Ealy‘s forced fumble was to the Panthers.
The Panthers offense went three and out on the ensuing drive; Coldplay eventually came back on stage and flatlined the show. But for a few fleeting moments, there were signs of life.
Don’t believe me? Just watch.
Dud No. 3 – The CBS Broadcast Crew (Among Others)
As the operators of the wildly popular Mile High Sports AM 1340, we know how challenging technical difficulties can be to deal with during a live broadcast. Take our week at Radio Row for Super Bowl 50. Equipment failures, power outages, surprise guests, you name it we’ve had to try and tackle it. Take that and multiply it by 114 million and that’s what CBS had to deal with
So I’ll excuse the technical bugs that caused hiccups throughout the broadcast. What I can’t understand, though, is how no one got the memo, or passed it along via IFB (those curly earpieces the talent wears) that Peyton had already been asked about whether or not this Super Bowl would be his last game.
By my count, Manning was asked on at least a half-dozen reporters from the on-field interview to the trophy presentation ceremony to the media room to private interviews in the bowels of the stadium a question he’d already answered. Manning, like pro, delivered the same canned reply every single time.
Here’s a question for all the reporters, “Did you really think Peyton, upon the fifth time being asked, was going to all of a sudden change his tune? ‘Thanks for asking, actually, now I’ve decided I’ll announce my retirement. I was just waiting for you to ask me.'”
Come on. Let the guy enjoy the moment.