Super Bowl 50 featured two of the best defenses in the NFL in the Carolina Panthers and Denver Broncos. Although the underdogs, it was the Broncos' defense that guided Denver to a 24-10 win over the Panthers Sunday night, giving QB Peyton Manning the perfect ending to his career.
The offenses struggled all game, going a combined 4 for 28 on third downs. It was actually the Panthers' offense that was the most productive. Carolina had 295 yards of offense against the Broncos' 186. But four turnovers killed Carolina, and this fourth quarter forced fumble by Von Miller was the dagger for the Panthers.
Miller was dominant for the Broncos, racking up 2.5 sacks and two forced fumbles. Miller was named Super Bowl MVP.
Following that Miller forced fumble, Broncos RB C.J. Anderson plunged in for a short touchdown run to essentially seal the win for Denver and send the Broncos' QB out with the perfect ending.
Manning wasn't great for the Broncos, but he didn't need to be. He completed 13 of 23 passes for 141 yards, with a pick and a fumble. But in what is likely his last NFL game, Manning leaves a champion. It's a possible storybook ending for one of the greatest QBs in the NFL history.
Newton, who had carried the Panthers' offense for much of the season, struggled against the deadly Denver defense. He was just 18 of 41 for 265 yards, a pick and two fumbles. He did add 45 of the team's 118 rushing yards, but was sacked seven times.
It was Denver that took an early 10-0 lead, capped by LB Von Miller's strip sack of Cam Newton at the Panthers' goal line that was recovered for a TD by DE Malik Jackson. More on the first half inside the Chat Sports iPhone and Android apps!
The Panthers eventually found the end zone for their lone score of the game in the second quarter. Newton led Carolina on a nine-play, 73-yard drive punctuated by a one-yard hurdle for a TD by RB Jonathan Stewart to make it 10-7:
Later in the quarter, Jordan Norwood ripped off the longest punt return in Super Bowl history (61 yards) to put the Broncos in business deep in Panthers territory. However, a holding call on a 4th and short conversion left the Broncos with no choice but to kick the field goal. It gave the Broncos a 13-7 lead.
Denver was marching down the field late, but Panthers defensive end Kony Ealy forced an impressive turnover:
The Panthers were unable to score before the end of the half, and Denver held a 13-7 lead.
The third and fourth quarters had limited scoring. Denver added a field goal in the third quarter, and the Panthers did the same in the fourth quarter. Carolina missed a field goal in the second half as well. The Broncos touchdown and two-point conversion late in the fourth quarter sealed the win for Denver.
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