Super Bowl 50 is this Sunday, and both football fans and non-football fans alike are excited for the big game. Whether you've been following the Denver Broncos or the Carolina Panthers all season or are just tuning in for your first football game, HNGN has you covered with everything you need to know to get ready to watch the biggest game of the year.
Panthers Offense:
The Panthers finished the 2015 regular season with the best record in the NFL, and head into Super Bowl 50 at 17-1 under head coach Ron Rivera. Super Bowl 50's biggest story line is the battle of two of the NFL's best quarterbacks, with the Panthers' Cam Newton looking to win his first Super Bowl over future Hall of Famer Peyton Manning. Newton is the clear front-runner to win the NFL's MVP award this season, and has been nothing short of spectacular on the field.
For those who haven't seen Newton play this season, he dominated the league with 3,837 passing yards and 35 touchdown passes during the regular season. The Panthers quarterback is a dual threat behind center, and rushed for over 636 yards and scored 10 rushing touchdowns over the course of the season. Newton is listed at 6-foot-5, 245 pounds, and can take off with the ball at any time. He's one-of-a-kind, as the NFL has never seen a quarterback that can run over tacklers and also throw pinpoint accurate passes on the run. While Newton is clearly the biggest name on the Panthers team this season, Carolina has plenty of other playmakers fans should pay attention too.
Outside of Newton audiences should keep their eyes on tight end Greg Olsen. The Panthers tight end led the team in receiving this season with 1,104 yards, and has developed into Newton's favorite target. Olsen and wide receiver Ted Ginn, Jr., are big offensive playmakers for Carolina's top ranked scoring offense, and will both look to be heavily involved on Super Bowl Sunday.
Panthers Defense:
Carolina Panthers defensive end Jared Allen will try to play in his first Super Bowl, and has been a dominant pass rusher throughout his 12-year NFL career. He is currently tied with Packers linebacker Julius Peppers for the most career sacks by any active player in the NFL. Allen will look to play in Super Bowl 50 despite a broken bone in his foot and has done whatever's necessary to play in the big game, including laser therapy. Allen isn't the only big name player on the Panthers defense who looking to play in Super Bowl 50 despite an injury, as linebacker Thomas Davis expects to play Sunday despite having 11 or 12 screws in his arm.
The Panthers linebacker suffered a broken forearm in the NFC Championship game, but was a full participant in practice Wednesday and will be examined by doctors on Friday, according to ESPN's David Newton. Davis was a first round draft pick by the Panthers in 2005, and is not only one of the Panthers top defensive playmakers on the field, but a leader in the locker room.
While most of the attention has focused on Carolina's high powered offense leading up to Super Bowl 50, Carolina's defense can't be overlooked. The Panthers are stacked with talent at every level of their defense, as linebacker Luke Kuechly, cornerback Josh Norman, and defensive tackle Kawann Short are three of the best at their positions in the entire NFL. The Panthers have arguably one of the best teams to ever step on a football field, and some believe they may be the greatest team of all-time if they can pull out the win in Super Bowl 50.
Broncos Offense:
The major story line surrounding the Broncos offense is quarterback Peyton Manning, and whether or not this will be the last game of his historic NFL career. Manning has reportedly already told his close friends that this will be his last game, and he will look to ride off in the sunset with a second Super Bowl championship. The 18-year NFL veteran has been consistently doubted this past season, but showed he can still get it done at the highest level with his performance in the AFC Championship game. Manning threw two touchdowns passes against the New England Patriots in the AFC Championship game, and will look to get the Broncos offense rolling on Super Bowl Sunday.
Additionally, keep an eye on the other playmakers on the Denver offense. Broncos running back C.J. Anderson has rushed for 72 yards in both of the Broncos playoff games this postseason, and will look to handle the load for Denver's offense on Sunday. The Broncos have plenty of playmakers on offense, and wide receivers Demaryius Thomas and Emmanuel Sanders can challenge any defense.
Broncos Defense:
Denver's defense finished the 2015 regular season as the NFL's top ranked defense in terms of yards allowed and many other stat columns, and are coming off an impressive victory in which they held the New England Patriots to just 18 points. If there is just one player on Denver's defense to keep an eye on it's linebacker Von Miller. The Broncos linebacker was all over the field on Championship Sunday, and recorded 5 combined tackles, 2.5 sacks, and an interception. Miller and the Broncos defense have the difficult task of containing Newton and creating pressure while still maintaining a strong pass coverage.
The Broncos have a dominant pass rush with players like Miller and defensive end Derek Wolfe, but also have one of the best pass defenses in the league. The Broncos secondary is loaded with talent with players like safety T.J. Ward, safety Darian Stewart, cornerback Aqib Talib, and cornerback Chris Harris, Jr.. Both safeties in Ward and Stewart were limited in practice this Wednesday, and are key players to pay attention to in the lead up to the big game. Head coach Gary Kubiak and defensive coordinator Wade Phillips have taken Denver's defense to another level and will look to culminate this season with a win in Super Bowl 50.
