Super Bowl 50 is a little more than a week away, and fans across the nation are split on who will win the big game. Both the Carolina Panthers and the Denver Broncos finished as the top-seed in their respective conferences this season, and HNGN is here to help you figure out who will win Super Bowl 50 by breaking down the three phases of each team.
1. Special Teams
Both the Denver Broncos and Carolina Panthers have strong kickers this season, and both have strong return men for both punts and kickoffs. Broncos kicker Brandon McManus slightly edges out Panthers kicker Graham Gano due to the fact that McManus has made five 50-plus-yard field goals this season and could be called upon to kick the game-winner in Super Bowl 50. Gano has been solid this season for Carolina though, and has made 13 out of 16 field goals from 40-49 yards out.
Wide receiver Ted Ginn Jr. returned a majority of the punt returns this season and can be explosive in open space for Carolina, but so can Broncos return man, wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders. Neither team returned a kickoff return for a touchdowns this year, and Broncos safety Omar Bolden is the only player from the two teams that has taken one the distance on a punt return.
Special teams can determine the outcome of a game, and while many look past this part of the football it could be a deciding factor in Super Bowl 50. After reviewing each teams' special teams it's the Denver Broncos who come out in top in this phase, but only slightly, as both Carolina and Denver have produced solid special teams efforts this season.
2. Defense
Both the Denver Broncos and the Carolina Panthers finished in the top ten in defense this season. The Panthers finished the regular season ranked sixth in terms of both yards and points allowed. The Panthers have talented playmakers all over the defensive side of the ball, and both cornerback Josh Norman and linebacker Luke Kuechly can be ball hawks that can turn the ball over quickly. Kuechly has already returned two interceptions for touchdowns in two games this postseason, and is considered by many one of the best defensive players in the league.
The Broncos also finished with one of the best defenses in the league this year, as they were ranked fourth in terms of points allowed and first in terms of yards. Denver's defense has looked like an all-time great at times this season, and destroyed New England's offensive game plan in Sunday's AFC Championship game. The Broncos hit Patriots quarterback Tom Brady more than any quarterback has been hit all year this past weekend, and will look to create the same pressure on Panthers quarterback Cam Newton. The Broncos have a dominating pass rush with linebacker Von Miller and defensive end Derek Wolfe. Miller was a huge difference maker in Sunday's AFC Championship game, and was all over the field with seven tackles, 2.5 sacks, and an interception.
Both the Panthers and Broncos have physical dominating defenses this season, but the Broncos take a slight edge again in this phase.
3. Offense
Both teams have stars behind center, but one of them has just come into his prime, and is beginning to become of the strongest forces in the league - Panthers quarterback Cam Newton. The Panthers quarterback has been the front-runner to win the league's MVP award all season, and his play has only gotten better in the postseason. Newton has completed 35 of 50 passes this postseason for 496 yards and has thrown three touchdowns to one interception. Carolina's offense was the highest scoring in the NFL this season, averaging 31.2 points per game, and they haven't slowed down this postseason, averaging 40 points a game.
On the other side, the Broncos have just managed 21.5 points per game, but future Hall of Fame quarterback Peyton Manning has stunned some people with his play on the field. Manning has completed 38 of 69 passes for 398 yards this postseason and has thrown two touchdowns with no interceptions. There is no doubt that being a football fan pulls one to pull for Manning in the biggest game of his career, but Carolina's offense cannot be understated.
Both the Broncos and the Panthers have strong ground attacks, but Carolina clearly takes the edge in this phase, as they have been one of the best offenses the NFL has seen in recent seasons.
Final Verdict: The Panthers offense is playing on another level this season, and for that reason they will win Super Bowl 50. The Broncos only stand a chance if they are able to keep the game low scoring, and are able to contain the Panthers explosive quarterback. After breaking down all three phases of each team the favor swings in Carolina's direction, as their 17-1 record and their high-scoring offense outweighs Denver's slight edge in defense and special teams.
