Much of the focus heading into Super Bowl 50 will be on the quarterbacks, particularly with future Hall of Famer Peyton Manning facing off with likely MVP Cam Newton in what could be the final game of Manning's career.
While the star quarterbacks will warrant the headlines, the defenses are the main reason the Broncos and Panthers are headed to Santa Clara.
The Denver Broncos and Carolina Panthers rank first and second in ESPN's defensive efficiency metric, an all-encompassing statistic that measures a unit's per-play contribution to its scoring margin.