Opposites will attract when the Carolina Panthers take on the Denver Broncos on Sunday in Super Bowl 50 at Levi’s Stadium in Santa Clara, California.
The Panthers, who finished the regular season 15-1, are led by energetic quarterback Cam Newton, who in his fifth NFL season is headed to his first Super Bowl. The Broncos, meanwhile, are led by veteran quarterback Peyton Manning, who many believe will be playing his final NFL game.
You can watch Super Bowl 50 live on CTV at 6:30pm et/3:30 pt.
The two teams took very different paths along the way, but both managed to reach the Big Game.
The Panthers raced through the regular season, reaching Week 16 before finally suffering their first loss of the season in a 20-13 defeat at the hands of the already eliminated Atlanta Falcons. Newton received the lion’s share of the credit for the team’s record, and deservedly so, with 45 total touchdowns on the season.
Like the Panthers, the Broncos jumped out to an undefeated 7-0 start before suffering their first defeat in Week 9. However, the Broncos strong start seemingly came in spite of their star quarterback and not because of him. Manning threw just seven touchdowns in the team’s first seven wins and tossed 11 interceptions. A low-point came when the Broncos needed overtime to defeat the Cleveland Browns in Week 6 as Manning turned the ball over three times. The Broncos dominant defence, however, consistently came to rescue, allowing just 16 points per game through their first seven contests. When Manning suffered a foot injury in a loss to the Kansas City Chiefs in Week 10, Brock Osweiler took over at quarterback and kept the Broncos on the playoff path with a 4-2 record. Yet, as Osweiler struggled to move the offence in Week 17 against the San Diego Chargers, it was Manning who was called in to help the team to victory and clinch the AFC’s No. 1 seed.
In the postseason, the Panthers followed their regular season script of domination. The team raced to a 31-point halftime lead on the twice-defending NFC champion Seattle Seahawks in the Divisional Round before holding on for a seven-point win. One week later, in the conference championship against the Arizona Cardinals, the Panthers took a 24-7 lead into half, but this time didn’t let up en route to a 49-15 blowout.
Unsurprisingly, the Broncos continued to advance in their typical nail-biting fashion. The team trailed 13-12 in the fourth quarter of the Divisional Round against the driving Pittsburgh Steelers before a fumble recovery turned the tides and allowed them to pick up a 23-16 win. Facing Manning’s archrival Tom Brady in the AFC Championship, the Broncos narrowly avoided overtime thanks to a failed two-point conversion attempt by the Patriots with 12 seconds left on the game clock.
Now, the two teams’ respective paths have led them to game’s biggest stage with Manning out to cement his legacy, and Newton hoping to create his.