Super Bowl 50 is set with the Carolina Panthers taking on the Denver Broncos at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California. The game is on schedule for February 7 and will start at 6:30 pm ET with TV channel coverage from CBS.
The Panthers advanced to the Super Bowl with a dominating win over the Arizona Cardinals in the NFC championship game, while the Broncos won over the Patriots in the AFC. The Broncos are back to the Super Bowl for the first time since losing to the Seahawks two years ago, while the Panthers are returning to the big game for the first time since losing or the Patriots after the 2003 season.
Newton led the Panthers to a 15-1 record during the regular season, including a 14-0 run before losing to the Atlanta Falcons. The Broncos saw Manning have one of the worst seasons stats-wise in his career and Manning also ended up on the sidelines for a stretch with a foot injury. Brock Osweiler stepped in and helped keep the Broncos afloat until Manning returned in Week 17. Now Manning and Newton will face off for Super Bowl 50 in two weeks.
The Broncos and the Panthers each had top 10 defensive units this season and that should make for a very interesting battle for the NFL title this year. The Panthers are coming in after a dominating win against the Cardinals and they will use that confidence to try and take down the Broncos. The Panthers offense was one of the best in the league this season and Newton is the likely favorite to win the MVP award. All of that puts a lot on the side of the Panthers and that is one reason why the team has opened up as favorites in Las Vegas for the game.
The Panthers are into the Super Bowl for the second time in team history, while the Broncos have made it in for the eighth time. Both teams are dealing with some injuries, as players like Thomas Davis, Darian Stewart, TJ Ward, Ryan Kalil, Roman Harper and Jonathan Stewart are banged up coming out of championship weekend. Davis is pushing to play in the Super Bowl despite a broken arm, while NFL.com reports that Ward and Stewart are expected to be fine for the big game. Jared Allen missed the NFC title game and likely will try and return for the Super Bowl.
Manning improved to 13-13 in the postseason with the win on Sunday and he will be looking to get on the positive side of .500 with a victory in two weeks. The Broncos are back after losing 43-8 a couple years ago to the Seahawks and the team is likely eager to put that Super Bowl history behind them. This is the third straight year that the top seeded teams from the AFC and NFC have advanced to the Super Bowl.
Jim Nantz, Phil Simms and Tracy Wolfson will be the TV talent for the game, while the halftime show will feature performances from Coldplay, Beyoncé and Bruno Mars.
Prediction:
Broncos win over Panthers
Score 27-24