Final: Broncos' defense carries Manning to Super Bowl 50 win

Share

Fourth quarter/final: Broncos 24, Panthers 10

Analysis: The high-powered Panthers offense was rendered toothless, and the old cliché that defense wins championships rang true. Peyton Manning, 39, the oldest quarterback to start a Super Bowl, was on the winning side. But he was merely along for the ride on this one, as the defense ruled the day in providing Gary Kubiak with the Super Bowl title in his first season after taking over for John Fox, who was fired after last season. The Orange Crush has never been better, as MVP Cam Newton and the Panthers were dealt a dose of humility. Newton was sacked seven times in Denver’s dominating performance. It was Carolina’s lowest point total of the season. The Panthers scored 13 points in their only other loss of the season, on Dec. 27 at the Atlanta Falcons.

[RELATED: Broncos tame Panthers, ride to Super Bowl 50 win]

Key play: Outside linebacker Von Miller came through with the play that clinched the game. On a third-and-9 from the Carolina 25, Miller got around right tackle Mike Remmers to again knock the ball out of Newton’s grasp. Rather than throw his body into the mix in hopes of recovering the fumble, Newton stepped aside and watched as Broncos’ safety T.J. Ward fell on the ball at the Carolina 4-yard line. From there, C.J. Anderson scored on a 2-yard touchdown run to clinch the victory.

This ‘n’ that: The Panthers needed a spark from their defense, and that’s what they got when they sacked Peyton Manning on two out of three plays early in the fourth quarter. Charles Johnson sacked Manning for a 5-yard loss. Then on a third-and-14 situation, Kony Ealy stripped ball out of Manning’s hand as he was throwing. Johnson recovered at midfield with 13:17 remaining in regulation. . . All the Panthers could manage from that great field position, however, was Graham Gano’s 39-yard field goal to cut the Broncos’ lead to 16-10. . . The Panthers did not have receiver Corey Brown available after he was diagnosed with a concussion. Brown had four receptions for 80 yards. . . The Panthers’ defense certainly did its part, completely putting the clamps on Denver’s offense. The Broncos converted just one of 14 third-down opportunities (7.1 percent) and still pulled away for the victory. . . .After scoring the clinching touchdown with three minutes to play, Manning hit receiver Bennie Fowler on the two-point conversion. . . Manning completed 13 of 23 passes for 141 yards with no touchdowns and one interception.

Contact Us