#pathers

The end of the season is in sight and the build up to the Superbowl is in full swing. The league has a big focus on the history of the game as they celebrate the milestone of 50 years in the Superbowl era and the two teams involved set the stage perfectly. The Broncos are being led by Peyton Manning as he tries to write a storybook ending to his career and end things on his terms. The Panthers follow Cam Newton, a charismatic young player who took a big step forward this year and looks to launch the new era of football. This is the perfect contrast between the old guard and the new school. This is the biggest age gap between Superbowl Quarterbacks as Manning has set the model of a pocket passer and Newton as a dynamic playmaker as a dual threat rushing QB. Of course the game is much bigger then these two players, but it sets the stage perfectly for a great matchup.

I was a doubter of the Broncos all season, but they consistently found a way to win ugly, and shutdown opponents in key moments of the games. Denver has had arguably the best DEF this year, shutting down receivers and forcing teams to grind it out against them. They have an aggressive team who likes to attack opponents with a premier pass rush that can bring pressure without blitzing. It will be interesting to see how they approach trying to bottle up Cam Newton and not let him burn them running the ball. Miller, Ware, Talib, and Harris are all upper echelon players at their position, but will face the challenge of staying disciplined against a multifaceted attack. The limitation of an aging Peyton Manning has led to a very balanced OFF attack, and they will need to get their run game going in order to keep Manning clean and able to make reads with play action. The Panthers DEF has no glaring weaknesses but have given up a lot of points in a few games this season. The Broncos will need to sustain drives and try to tire this unit out if they want to win this game. The run game has been hit and miss with an inconsistent CJ Anderson who is able to make big runs but has disappeared for stretches of the year and struggled in pass protection. They have struggled to get star receiver Thomas involved relying mostly on the speed of WR Sanders to move the ball passing. Manning will have to find something in his bag of tricks to avoid costly turnovers that hurt him all season if he wants to go out on top. He still has a sharp football mind able to read and pick apart a defense, but that will have to be meshed with his physical limitations as a passer. The Sheriff will have to rely heavily on his supporting cast if he wants to win this year, I mean it can’t be any worse than his last Superbowl, right?

The Panthers have been the cream of the crop in the NFL this season. Cam Newton took a big step forward in his game and is a shoe in for MVP this season. He has the size and speed to add a huge complement to the teams run game, but his passing has improved dramatically from last season. Newton has become a more refined passer being able to fit the ball into smaller windows and fine tuning his accuracy. In years past Cam frequently would just throw balls up for guys, counting on them to make the play (Benjamin last year had a huge catch radius) but has had much more ball control and placement this year. While Carolina might not have a the best Receiving core in the league, the combination of Ted Ginn’s speed and the versatility of Greg Olson make this a dangerous passing attack. Olson has been a consistent playmaker for this team and is a serious red zone threat as he attacks each catch that comes his way. Ted Ginn may drop a lot of deep balls, but when he gets one you will be hard pressed to match his speed.  He poses a constant threat downfield that needs to be accounted for, opening things up for the run game spearheaded by Cam and Stewart. Having to account for the RB and the QB in the run game limits a DEF dramatically as they have to have smart play calling and be consistently aware of positioning and responsibilities. In terms of DEF the Panthers are very well rounded able to play multiple styles and adapt fluidly to situations. Luke Kuechly is a marvel to watch as the leader of this team. He is a very gifted athlete with a nose for the ball that is able to make key turnovers and make tackles with authority. The Panthers also have Josh Norman in the secondary who was able to shutdown many of the WR stars this league has to offer. He plays an aggressive, physical style that disrupts timing for WR and can get under their skin. One look at the Panthers and you can see why they are a Superbowl calibre team.