Super Bowl 50 was ruled by defense, and it was Denver Broncos linebacker Von Miller who took center stage with two strip sacks, a half-sack and a highlight reel of big pressure plays against a clearly shaken Cam Newton.
So, it was academic following the Broncos' 24-10 win over the Carolina Panthers when Miller received the Super Bowl MVP trophy -- a symbol of one of the most dominant individual performances by any defensive player in Super Bowl history.
While several other defensive players shined for Denver in the team's shutdown of Carolina, it's Miller who keyed the charge -- ensuring that QB Peyton Manning was sent into the sunset (IF he chooses to retirement) with his second Lombardi Trophy in tow.
Miller's overall stat line reads as follows -- six tackles, 2.5 sacks, one pass deflection and two quarterback hits.
Carolina's offense did outgain Denver 315-194, but the Panthers' four turnovers killed any and all momentum the Panthers attempted to get rolling. In addition to Miller's two strip sacks, Kony Ealy picked up his own strip sack and TJ Ward picked off Cam Newton at the Denver 10.
Miller, the #2 overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft, is set to enter free agency after playing out a four-year, $21 million deal. Extension talks will likely ramp up shortly, with a franchise tag likely if things don't come together.
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