Super Bowl 50 Analysis, Results & Stats

Super Bowl 50 was a matchup of the AFC Champion Denver Broncos versus the NFC Champion Carolina Panthers. The Broncos defeated the Panthers 24-10, giving the Broncos their third Super Bowl victory and the Panthers their second Super Bowl loss. The game was played on February 7, 2016 at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California in front of a crowd of 71,088. Broncos linebacker Von Miller, who recorded 2.5 sacks and forced two fumbles, was named Super Bowl MVP. The game was broadcast nationally on CBS, and featured Coldplay, Beyonce, and Bruno Mars during the halftime show.

The Carolina Panthers, led by Pro Bowl quarterback Cam Newton, completed their best regular season in franchise history with a record of 15-1 and securing the number one seed in the NFC. The Panthers defeated the Seattle Seahawks 31-24 in the Divisional round, and then blew out the Arizona Cardinals 49-15 in the NFC Championship game. The Denver Broncos, led by quarterback Peyton Manning, also secured the number one seed in their conference, finishing the season with a 12-4 record. They defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers in the Divisional round 23-16, and then beat the defending Super Bowl XLIX champion New England Patriots 20-18 in the AFC Championship game.

Defense ruled much of the game as the Denver and Carolina offenses were held to just 4-29 third-down conversions combined. Broncos kicker Brandon McManus opened scoring with a field goal in the first quarter, shortly followed by a defensive touchdown for Denver after Cam Newton's fumble was recovered in the end zone by defensive end Malik Jackson. Carolina closed the gap in the second quarter with a 1-yard touchdown plunge from running back Jonathan Stewart. Denver added another field goal before halftime to make the score 13-7 at the midway point. The Broncos and Panthers traded field goals in the second half before Miller again was able to force a fumble by stripping Newton, recovered by Broncos safety T.J. Ward at the Carolina 4-yard line. Running back C.J. Anderson was able to score for the final touchdown of the game and Peyton Manning capped off the scoring with a 2-point conversion on a pass to wide receiver Bennie Fowler. The win was Peyton Manning's second in the Super Bowl and 200th victory in his career, surpassing Brett Favre for most all-time for a quarterback.

2016 Super Bowl 50