Super Bowl 50: a Game for the “Ages”
“We’ve Come a Long Way Baby!”
Fifty years ago, the Green Bay Packers defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 35-10 in the first-ever Super Bowl. Tickets were only $10. Half a century later they sell for an average price of $4900! Talk about inflation. The first Super Bowl featured legendary coaches Hank Stram (Chiefs) and Vince Lombardi (Packers). In 1970, the Super Bowl trophy was officially named after Vince Lombardi.
Coaches Hank Stram (left) and Vince Lombardi in Super Bowl 1. Photo: NFL Films
Over the years, professional football has surpassed baseball as the most popular sport in America. The Super Bowl has the honor of being the most watched television event in broadcast history. Last year, a record 114.4M U.S. viewers tuned in.
Advertisers have taken advantage of these huge audiences, and pay an average of $4.5M for a 30 second commercial. Many people watch the game just to see the ads. In addition, last year’s contest was a huge hit on social media; over 28.4 million tweets related to the game and halftime show were posted.
The halftime show has become an event in itself. Super Bowl 1 featured trumpeter Al Hirt and marching bands from the University of Arizona and Grambling State. This year, Coldplay and Beyoncé will provide the entertainment.
Super Bowl 50 Matchup
Unlike many previous Super Bowl games, this year’s matchup should be a great one. The 15-1 Carolina Panthers will face the 12-4 Denver Broncos at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, CA. Both teams were the number one seeds in their conferences. The Bronco’s boast the #1 defense in the NFL, while the Panthers enjoy the #2 spot. Both teams provide a balanced combination of run/ pass in their offenses.
This year’s game will feature the largest age difference between QB’s in Super Bowl history (thus the cool title of this blog!). Peyton Manning (Denver) is 39, while Cam Newton (Carolina) is only 26. Manning will also be the oldest QB ever to play in the “Big Game.”
QB’s Cam Newton (left) and Peyton Manning. Photo: thebiglead.com
Keys to the Game
Both teams will attempt to establish the running game early. This will allow them to set up the play action pass and take pressure off of the quarterback. A successful rushing attack will also wear down the opposing defense, especially in the 4th quarter. Carolina primarily utilizes Stewart in the backfield, while the Bronco’s split the carries between Hillman and Anderson. Carolina ranks 2nd in rushing yards- Denver is 17th.
The Panthers also enjoy a formidable weapon in Cam Newton. Unlike Peyton, Cam is very mobile-he led all QB’s in rushing with 636 yards and 10 TD’s. “The prospect of Newton fully unleashed is why Wade Phillips, the defensive coordinator for the Broncos, called him a nightmare”.
Peyton also has a disadvantage in arm strength- his passing power has diminished ever since he had multiple neck surgeries in 2010-11. Since he’s unable to throw the deep pass as effectively, combined with the pressure of Carolina’s defense, he’ll need to rely on quick release, short passes.
Super Bowl 50 logo courtesy of the NFL
Most experts agree that defenses win championships. Both defenses will attempt to shut down their opponents run game. This will force the other team to become one-dimensional, and thus more predictable. Whoever puts the most pressure on the QB will have a distinct advantage. Carolina has 44 sacks, while Denver has a league leading 52. Denver’s Ware and Miller are one of the best tandems the in the NFL.
Special teams will also play a pivotal role in this game. Having good field position will be important due to each team’s stingy defense. Denver ranked 26th (528) while the Panthers (407) finished dead last in the league in total kick/ punt return yards.
It goes without saying that turnovers are a critical part of any game. Typically, each team will cough up the ball at least once. The game is often decided when one side has two or more turnovers than the other. During the 2015 regular season, Denver had a 27-31 takeaway vs. giveaway differential (-4); while Carolina enjoyed an NFL best 39 takeaways vs. 19 giveaways, a +20 differential.
In order to win the Super Bowl, each player needs to perform at the top of his game. Oftentimes, a player’s nerves can affect their performance in a negative way; a dropped pass, a missed tackle, or a muffed field goal can be the difference between winning and losing.
Every player has had childhood dreams of playing in the Super Bowl, but many never get the opportunity to do so. When one does have the chance, how they handle their nerves is of paramount importance. Unlike 50 years ago, the week preceding the game is a spectacle, and quite a media frenzy. It’s very easy for players to get distracted by the pre-game hype. Many times the teams that have the most players with Super Bowl experience have an advantage. The Panthers have 7 players, while Denver has 18, and 15 of them were active at their last appearance two years ago. This will be Manning’s fourth appearance (he’s 1-2), while it’s Newton’s first.
Turnovers could be the difference. Photo: Stew Milne/USA TODAY Sports
And the Winner is…
Denver is my sentimental favorite to win Super Bowl 50 because this will probably be Peyton Manning’s last game. I’d like to see him go out on top. However, Carolina is the more talented team overall, plus Cam Newton’s swagger has energized his teammates all season. I predict that Cam’s strength/ mobility will overcome the Bronco’s D, and that the Panther’s D will take advantage of Peyton’s lack of strength/ mobility.
And speaking of turnovers, I fear that the Panther D will cause Manning to throw a fatal interception, perhaps for 6. He has been plagued all season with picks- he leads all QB’s (min. 300 attempts) for the highest INT% (5.5%), which is the ratio of interceptions over pass attempts. Carolina will pull it out 27-20. Cam will win both the league and Super Bowl MVP awards.
In the end, I just hope that it’s a close, back-and-forth scoring game. Oh yeah, and for Peyton’s sake, I hope my predictions are all wrong! Hopefully he’ll outsmart Carolina, and use his age as a weapon- it’s called experience. And as my Dad used to say, “experience is the best teacher.” So, two Super Bowl rings and the MVP for PM! Cam, you can wait till next year ok?
So what say you about this? I’d love to hear your thoughts below.