SB50
Last night, Super Bowl 50 was played between the explosive offense of the Carolina Panthers and the Denver Broncos with their dominant defense and all I have to say is....I told you so.
Every single one of my coworkers picked the Panthers to win and virtually ruled out Denver as even having a chance. I was the only one who picked the Broncos and here is why:
1. Peyton Manning
No, Manning was not the difference maker in the game but two things regarding him swayed the mo-jo in Levi's Stadium in his direction. First, after an emotional conversation with his teammates Saturday evening in a team meeting and with speculation of this being his final game, there was some added motivation for the Broncos to win this one. Second, having been in three other Super Bowls, Manning was composed and comfortable with such a large stage which was evident from his first pass, a beautiful over the middle completion.
2. Defense Wins Championships
As a young basketball player, my coach taught me that "offense wins games, but defense wins championships." In my prediction, I said this a lot as a reason why I picked the Broncos. Now, after the game is over, I am hearing a lot of analysts using the same phrase. It's true though. The defense is built for the hitting; built for the grind. The offense plays to try not to get hit. I'm not saying that is the difference maker, but I feel that the defense is usually more prepared for the grind. Also, defensive football is all about execution where offensive football is about strategy. If a defense can find the motivation to show up, they can win.
3. Experience
I mentioned this briefly with Peyton Manning but I now want to turn my attention to the other quarterback, Cam Newton. I appreciate Cam's style as a style that is forging the way to future football strategies. He pulls off the "mobile quarterback" style better than anyone in the NFL. This, however, was no match for the nerves and debilitating effect that the Super Bowl can have on players. Cam did not look like Cam. He didn't run much. He did have to deal with a constantly collapsing pocket, but in times where he could normally make a play, he didn't.
4. Offensive Weapons
I will not place all of the blame for the Panther's loss on Cam. He is the league MVP for a reason. I will say that with a limited running game, Cam not being able to run on his own, and Greg Olsen being covered tightly, the Panther's had no real offensive weapons to turn to. With Kelvin Benjamin on the sidelines, Greg Olsen was really the only receiving threat the Broncos had to watch out for. This made their job much easier as they stayed tight on Olsen while keeping coverage on the other receivers.
I'm sure there are some other reasons that things just didn't work out for the Panthers as well as a few more reasons that the Broncos came out victorious but let this be a lesson to all those who called the game in Carolina's favor before it even started that there are a lot of things to look at when making a pick for a game. Just because a team has a great offense and can put points on the board in a way no other team could during the season, it doesn't mean they will do it every game and in every situation.
Every single one of my coworkers picked the Panthers to win and virtually ruled out Denver as even having a chance. I was the only one who picked the Broncos and here is why:
1. Peyton Manning
No, Manning was not the difference maker in the game but two things regarding him swayed the mo-jo in Levi's Stadium in his direction. First, after an emotional conversation with his teammates Saturday evening in a team meeting and with speculation of this being his final game, there was some added motivation for the Broncos to win this one. Second, having been in three other Super Bowls, Manning was composed and comfortable with such a large stage which was evident from his first pass, a beautiful over the middle completion.
2. Defense Wins Championships
As a young basketball player, my coach taught me that "offense wins games, but defense wins championships." In my prediction, I said this a lot as a reason why I picked the Broncos. Now, after the game is over, I am hearing a lot of analysts using the same phrase. It's true though. The defense is built for the hitting; built for the grind. The offense plays to try not to get hit. I'm not saying that is the difference maker, but I feel that the defense is usually more prepared for the grind. Also, defensive football is all about execution where offensive football is about strategy. If a defense can find the motivation to show up, they can win.
3. Experience
I mentioned this briefly with Peyton Manning but I now want to turn my attention to the other quarterback, Cam Newton. I appreciate Cam's style as a style that is forging the way to future football strategies. He pulls off the "mobile quarterback" style better than anyone in the NFL. This, however, was no match for the nerves and debilitating effect that the Super Bowl can have on players. Cam did not look like Cam. He didn't run much. He did have to deal with a constantly collapsing pocket, but in times where he could normally make a play, he didn't.
4. Offensive Weapons
I will not place all of the blame for the Panther's loss on Cam. He is the league MVP for a reason. I will say that with a limited running game, Cam not being able to run on his own, and Greg Olsen being covered tightly, the Panther's had no real offensive weapons to turn to. With Kelvin Benjamin on the sidelines, Greg Olsen was really the only receiving threat the Broncos had to watch out for. This made their job much easier as they stayed tight on Olsen while keeping coverage on the other receivers.
I'm sure there are some other reasons that things just didn't work out for the Panthers as well as a few more reasons that the Broncos came out victorious but let this be a lesson to all those who called the game in Carolina's favor before it even started that there are a lot of things to look at when making a pick for a game. Just because a team has a great offense and can put points on the board in a way no other team could during the season, it doesn't mean they will do it every game and in every situation.
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