WASHINGTON — Super Bowl 50 is set. We have the Denver Broncos against the Carolina Panthers, a battle of two top five defenses on sports’ biggest stage.
Even though the postseason gridiron has again proved that defense wins championships, the quarterback matchups continue to be the prevailing narrative of the NFL playoffs. Brady vs. Manning XLVII was must-see TV and now we’re about to be beaten over the head with Cam Newton vs. Peyton Manning for two weeks.
Allow me to deliver the first blow.
If you thought Brady-Manning was big, wait’ll you get a load of Cam vs. Peyton. This is the quintessential “Old School vs. New School” matchup: The 13 year, 48 day age difference between Manning (39) and Newton (26) is the largest between starting QBs in Super Bowl history.
Manning is a five-time MVP who is now the only QB to take multiple teams to the Super Bowl multiple times, and can become the first starting QB to win a Super Bowl with multiple teams. The fact that his four trips to the Big Dance have come with four different coaches only makes that feat all the more significant.
Newton’s youth doesn’t make him any less great; he’s a touchdown machine (50 total TDs this year in the regular season and playoffs combined) and stands just one win away from being the first ever QB to win the Heisman, FBS National Championship, NFL MVP and Super Bowl. Production like that apparently works up an appetite.
Though both QBs enter the game with impressive resumes, it’s highly unlikely both with play well. Cam’s swag is out of this world right now, but he’s still never played on a stage this big. While Peyton will have started more Super Bowls than every QB not named Tom Brady or John Elway, his physical limitations brought on by old age could be brought back to the forefront by a Panthers D that leads the league in take-aways. Remember …#18 threw 17 picks in his first nine regular season starts.
That’s part of what makes this matchup so compelling. It’s not just old vs. young, it’s a dynamic duel threat that’s literally shouldered the load for a one-loss team against a rapidly declining legend who is game managing just enough to not usurp the best efforts of the league’s best defense.
Furthermore, this game holds the distinction of being the first Super Bowl featuring former #1 overall picks at starting QB. Unfortunately, it’s likely to mark the final time we see Cam and Peyton on the same field. We’ve only seen them go head-to-head once before: Week 10 in 2012. The Broncos beat the Panthers 36-14 in a game that featured Manning throwing for 301 yards and Newton taking seven sacks.
This time around, I’d count on Cam cooking up something different.
Now grab a fork and morosely take in the last NFL Recap of the season.
