SANTA CLARA, Calif. – I’m sure we can all agree, right?: The story of Super Bowl 50 was Denver’s defense. Broncos cornerback Chris Harris said “the game plan was so simple,”—don't blitz too much, gang up the run—and so is this story.
Denver’s defense dominated Cam Newton and the Panthers in a 24–10 victory. Forget the total yards, which were 315-194 in Carolina’s favor, and forget that Carolina had 10 more first downs. It was obvious by halftime that Carolina’s offense, which led the league in scoring, was overmatched.
The Broncos sacked Newton seven times, and defensive end Derek Wolfe said it should have been at least 10.