Super Bowl 50: Who will win the Lombardi Trophy?

Super Bowl 50 is either going to be a memorable one or a game that turns out to be a blowout. One team will leave victorious but it may very well come down to the wire.

The match-up between the Carolina Panthers against the Denver Broncos can be one that could end up in the record books in a good way or a bad way. There are many things you can take away from this game that you wonder if it will happen. The match-up between the number one offense in the Panthers versus the best defense in the Broncos can play a huge factor in who walks away as champions.

The other factor will be is whose running game can be established because both have struggled in being effective this postseason. Also, will the Broncos secondary be healthy enough for the game with two weeks rest? Which Peyton Manning will we see because this season he has been very shaky and not as effective as he use to be early on his career? Even though Cam Newton has played in the National Championship in college, can he handle the big stage in the biggest game of his young career?

All these questions and more will be answered in the Super Bowl.

I also wonder if the receivers for the Panthers will have much success against the Broncos’ defensive secondary because they are very physical and are very good coverage corners. You wonder as well as a fan if both teams will be able to keep up the momentum they have coming off the conference championship games. One team has to break and that will be the difference maker in my opinion.

The outcome of the game is going to be determined by one of the teams committing a huge turnover, or some player on either team committing a huge penalty. Between both teams, the Panthers are in the top 10 in penalties as they commit 6.2 per game. The Broncos are in the top 20 in penalties by committing 7.0 per game.

It will be interesting to see how the Broncos handle themselves in making sure they don’t commit encroachment penalties because Newton is very successful in having defenses commit those penalties. It will important for the Broncos’ defense to maintain Newton in the pocket because he is a very successful scrambling player that can be an opposing nightmare against any defense.

The players that will need to step up for the Broncos’ defense will be Aqib Talib, T.J. Ward, and Brandon Marshall. These three players will need to either keep an major eye on Newton, or they will need to put major pressure on him. He has key tendencies of throwing the ball into very small windows, and opposing defenses take advantage of it and make it hard for him to figure things out. The game plan they used against the Patriots I think was incredible, and they will need to use the same game plan to confuse the coverage looks so the Panthers have to keep on guessing.

I think the Panthers have been on a mission this year as they were tired of being the mediocre team in the NFL, and wanted to make a point. The team started off strong this season by winning the first 14 games of the year. Newton had his best season this year, and with the way he has played, he looks like a man on a mission that can’t be stopped.

Jan 3, 2016; Charlotte, NC, USA; Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton (1) scores a touchdown as Tampa Bay Buccaneers cornerback Johnthan Banks (27) defends in the second quarter at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Bob Donnan-USA TODAY Sports

His statistics improved this year as he was very careful with the ball by throwing very few interceptions. He also averaged his third highest total yards in passing with 3,837 in total. The problems I think the Broncos will have against the Panthers is the height of their receivers. The average height for the Panthers’ receivers is about 6 foot even and the Broncos height for their cornerbacks are about 5 foot 11 which isn’t much of a difference.

It can catch up to the Broncos late in the game and they could possibly make a mistake that would cost them everything. The biggest players that need to have a big game to help them get the win are Ted Ginn Jr., Jonathan Stewart and Mike Tolbert. Even though they have been a big part in this playoff run, they will need to come up even bigger in the Super Bowl.

The Panthers’ defense has been very scary during the year and will look to continue this against the Broncos’ offense. The defense will look to contain Emmanuel Sanders, Demaryius Thomas, Jordan Norwood and Owen Daniels. These four players have stepped up big but the one major problem that could cause them to be one dimensional is their running game.

Their running game has disappeared this postseason, and I don’t think it will a major factor in this game as well. The Panthers have been one of the top teams in total defense and the fourth best run defense in the league which is a huge accomplishment.

The defensive players that will need to step up during the game are Josh Norman, Jared Allen, Charles Johnson and Cortland Finnegan as these four players can be huge game changers in deciding the final outcome. Norman and Finnegan will need to be physical against Thomas and Daniels who are bigger in size and can beat them out on certain plays.

Manning needs to play like he has done early on in his career because he hasn’t played very good as of late this season. This possibly could be the last game of his career because the injuries are starting to catch up to him. When he is throwing, his passes look like they have no power behind the ball and are up for grabs. Luke Kuechly and Thomas Davis will be his biggest problems because these two will look to cause havoc against him.

These two linebackers have been the best duo in the league this year. They have been a big part in the Panthers success in causing opponents to turnover the football this season. Manning will need to be very careful with the football and will need to make plays on his own in order for his team to have any chance. I just think Manning will have a tough time and will have his nightmares returned like he had a few years ago against the Seattle Seahawks.

The team I think that will be bringing the Lombardi Trophy home will be the Panthers. They are playing like true champions this season on both sides of the ball. I think they want to prove to the football world that they are the best and this season hasn’t just been a fluke.

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Newton will continue to make a real good case in why he should be Most Valuable Player of Super Bowl 50. The Panthers’ defense will be a major factor in this game and will cause the Broncos’ offense to be off their game. I think both quarterbacks will struggle because of how well the defenses will be playing against each other.

I think this won’t be a blowout game but it will be either a 28-21 or 21-17 final score. I think the Panthers will finish what they have started and complete the mission they are destined for this season. Newton will prove all the doubters wrong and will cement his name as one of the best quarterbacks in the league which would be a huge accomplishment.