With stellar defense from start to finish (and a sheriff under center), the underdog Denver Broncos completed the dream season with a 24-10 victory on Super Bowl Sunday.
Lady Gaga clearly rattled Carolina with her sexiness, broadcasting one helluva national anthem to boot. They elected, despite being a high-scoring, 1st half team, to kickoff after winning the coin toss.
Peyton Manning put together a nearly five-minute drive to open the game with a field goal. Both teams then stalled, giving the Panthers the ball close to their own end zone. On 3rd down, Von Miller met Cam Newton on a blitz and ripped away the football. It tumbled towards the goal line where two submerging d-linemen fell on it for the score!
A team used to playing ahead, “Fig” Newton looked visibly shook the rest of the contest. The first quarter ended with a 10-0 hole for the “favorites.”
Unfortunately, they scored when we struggled to get first downs. But, a Championship-record 61-yard punt return put Denver back into field goal range. Every point was crucial in a turnover riddled day.
The half ended 13-7 after each team turned it over. Denver recovered a Carolina fumble, but Manning was then intercepted. The final seconds ticked off after Newton was sacked again.
I think the extra long halftime show allowed the braggadocious bitches in blue and black to stir, while also allowing the veterans in white to rest and re-fire up. The pussy Panthers finished a slow opening drive by bricking a FG off the right upright!
Manning struck his slot receiver Emmanuel Sanders for a pair of first downs, capitalizing on the miss. Brandon McManus cashed in his try for a 16-7 edge.
The Panthers were really pouting now. Instead of encouraging his teammates on the sideline, “Pretty Boy” Cam looked like a crybaby. They rushed back onto the field only to be picked off… but, T.J. Ward fumbled the return. Danny Trevathan, who my brother and I met, recovered the ball surrounded by the opposition. They’d have had possession inside the red zone.
Special teams came through again for the AFC Champs. A strong punt plus a penalty backed up Carolina again. Finally, a big sack essentially ended the 3rd quarter and gave the ball back to the Broncos.
The Panthers got a break, recovering a fumble in Denver territory. But, the bend-but-not break D stopped any chance of a touchdown, holding to a field goal. Also, penalties were adding up, costing Carolina a first down on their next possession. They were running out of time.
Deep in their own territory, in came Miller again knocking the ball free from Newton’s weak ass. The ball laid on the ground, and that’s when Cam showed us his dance moves: he literally stopped on a dime by toe-tapping, pulled up instead of diving on the ground, and let the football be kicked and corralled by Denver almost in the end zone. Newton made the wimpiest decision ever, showing his true colors.
With about 3 minutes left, C.J. Anderson ran in the touchdown and Manning completed the 2-point conversion for a 14-point lead. It appeared Carolina had given up, nearly allowing a safety en route to just punting their hopes away.
That did it. Denver made them burn all their timeouts and stopped the last drive, ending Super Bowl 50. Orange-looking gold confetti exploded over the champions, crowning a miraculous ride.
After seeing and meeting these Gs in person this season, I couldn’t help but think of Surf Ninjas for anyone that ever doubted this for Manning: “He can if it’s his destiny.”