Super Bowl 50 Poster

Result: Broncos Win 24 – 10

Super Bowl MVP: Von Miller, Denver Broncos

2 years after the so called “worst Super Bowl of all time (Super Bowl LVIII)”, Super Bowl 2016 has now been considered to brag that right, although it wasn’t entirely an awful game considering the final touchdown by the Broncos, which was a massacre on an already horribly wounded Panthers. How painful it was for the Panthers can be recalled by watching Cam Newton roll on the ground from the bench as he witnessed how the Broncos gave the final blow with that only touchdown in the game.

Here is the NFL Super Bowl 2016 game review:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Rc4IY2oAhs

Game highlights:

  • Broncos won Super Bowl 50 almost without a TD, just in the last minutes they manage a killing blow touchdown thanks to a massive Cam Newton mistake on yard 4.
  • It was a best defense vs best defense game.
  • Cam Newton and Peyton Manning were both neutralized and failed to deliver their best performance.
  • 12 sacks in the entire game.

Levi’s Stadium Scene

The scene was prepared for one of the best Super Bowls of all time, with two great quarterbacks as the main stars. The NFL hanged two massive posters on Levi’s Stadium entrances announcing the battle between Cam Newton vs Peyton Manning, but neither the young prolific javelin thrower nor the experienced cowboy would impress the more than 1 billion viewers, both turned out to be big disappointments. But this was expected from the 39 year old Peyton Manning, not from 26 year old Cam Newton, as we announced on our Super Bowl 2016 predictions.

The stage was set with a prolonged opening ceremony that began with the introduction of all historical Super Bowl MVPs, including Peyton Manning and his brother Eli along with all-time legend Joe Montana. Next came one of the best acts of the night as both teams entered the field with pompous fireworks, the Panthers by the beat of a massive drum recalling its “Keep Pounding” motto, the Broncos with their usual horse sprint and player charge.

Then came Lady Ga Ga´s emotional performance, all dressed up like the Mockingjay on Fire from the Hunger Games (inside joke), extending the national anthem with a double ending. An aspect that confused the Over/Under bets from many sportsbooks, specially Bovada which was the only one to pay the Under angering its users that took the Over.

The Halftime show for Super Bowl 2016 was also a confusing event that began with a hippie story hosted by Coldplay, only to be savaged by Bruno Mars and Beyoncé.

A Painful to Watch Game

Cam Newton Super Bowl 2016

Why painful? Because for hours the world audience had to witness two of the best NFL players fail over and over again. The only heroes of the night were both defenses, but the crowd always craves for crushing touchdowns, not successful blocks.

12 sacks in total were recorded during the game, with the Broncos winning with the highest record scoring offense in the NFL. A walkthrough to the still expected Peyton Manning retirement.

5 minutes remaining in the Super Bowl and the Broncos were about to win the game without scoring a TD, a first time in history, not a very prominent record to keep, especially for the Panthers. You did well with Super Bowl prop bets if you took the Unders on both offense squads.

Manning was disarmed by giving up an interception, a fumble and being sacked 5 times. The Broncos defense did even greater damage to the Panthers, Cam Newton failed to even glimpse a perfect pass during the entire game. Newton Suffered a fumble, an interception and 6 sacks with just 18 of 41 passes being complete. He had to get rid of the ball to the side most of time to avoid getting sacked.

Cam Newton Higlights:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=izsVO6Ot_Ds

Super Bowl MVP – Von Miller

Sacks: 2.5, 27 yards

QB Hits: 2

Pass Defended: 1

Forced Fumbles:  2

Tackles: 6

After Super Bowl 50, Broncos defense player Von Miller was named Super Bowl MVP (Most Valuable Player Award) after his 2.5 sacks on Newton [2], including two game factor strip sacks, one that set the winning advantage at the start, the second was the famous strip from Newton’s throwing hand that ended in the only touchdown for the Broncos and final blow for the Panthers in a 24-10 victory.

First Von Miller Strip Sack against Cam Newton:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5dk0KqS2Pb4

Second Von Miller strip sack over Cam Newton:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qQ-Ji2ZvR4I

Why the Panthers Lost the Super Bowl

The Panthers Offense was blocked from start, beginning with a complete blockade of passes that Newton could make in a matter of seconds. Since he had to get rid of the ball fast before being sacked, most passes ended incomplete by the sideline.

Still, with 5 minutes left in the game, an eternity in American Football, the Panthers were 16 – 10 down on the board, one touchdown drive would win the game 16 – 17 and the Panthers were on offense.

But the Broncos defense pulled out their best move of the night with Von Miller, who drove through the line and got his right hand on Newton´s throwing arm stripping the ball just as it was leaving for home. The rest of the Broncos crashed over the ball, Newton and a team mate both hit each other making the ball slip from under their bodies and T.J. Ward gained control of the ball on the Panthers 4 yard line.

This was the Panther´s 4th forced turnover of the season.

Why the Broncos Won the Super Bowl

Von Miller MVP

Answer: They knew their offense was overpowered, so they focused 90% on defense, their greatest asset, and overcame a struggling offense neutralized opponent who risked too much on a single player like Cam Newton.

The strategy was clear from the start, the best defense of the season would be the key factor to win the game and so it was. After the games several Broncos players claimed they had initially aimed to destroying the opponent’s chances, not creating scoring opportunities. Hence, creating a TD was last in their concerns. And apparently Von Miller had his MVP speech all prepped up since the day before, they knew he would be a key factor in the game.

They knew it would be a game about grit and not legendary players.  “Our defense has led the charge for all of us to be here,” Manning had claimed the week before.

They knew Manning´s harm had weakened with his 39 years of age, he wouldn´t match Newton super arm in the game. Coach Kubiak reminded Manning that John Elway had won the 1997 Super Bowl with just 123 yards passing, Manning did so with 141 yards.

Broncos Defensive Coordinator takes all the credit for building up this so perfect QB destroying machine, a defense made entirely on aggression and speed.

Decisiveness over complexity. Something Cam Newton failed to understand, before he knew it the Broncos were all over him and blocked every possible pass.

“When something happens, you see it and it’s bam, bam,” linebacker Brandon Marshall had premonitory said last week. “You got to play fast. He doesn’t put a lot of restrictions on you; you don’t have to think what do I do here. If you can master it, you play fast, and simple.”

And so the Broncos win their 8th Super Bowl appearance, standing as one of the best NFL teams of all time along the Seahawks and Patriots.

External Links

[1] washingtonpost.com, Defenses Made This Super Bowl About Grit Not Golden Arms, 2016

[2] espn.go.com, Super Bowl 50 Von Miller Denver Broncos Named Most Valuable Player, 2016